


How to Spot a Dragon Hybrid

by orphan_account



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Chibi-me's revamped work, Short AF Chapter, amateur writing, cross-posted on ffn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:00:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 23,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23925022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Hiccup Haddock XVI lives a normal life. Well, as normal as you can get on little poverty-stricken Berk, where favouritism runs rampant and the rich kids are favoured above all others. Then, Luna Whiting Light strides onto the scene, messing up the perfectly good system they had. She's here for a completely different reason, but she might as well knock some sense into these idiots while she does it.
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the rewrite to a story I wrote when I was ten. As such, the chapters are short and the story is too. It's part of an overarching series of stories, as well, which I've completed on Fanfiction.net, but will add in slowly here. This specific story is not complete, and any constructive criticism is invited. It doesn't have to be nice, as long as its constructive.

_This is Berk. It has no idea what child rights are, and is a poverty stricken island nation. It snows nine months of the year, and hails the other three. Well, now because it global warming, we sometimes get a couple weeks of scorching heat. My name's Hiccup. Haddock. The Sixteenth. And that's literally as ridiculous as it can get. I'm starting middle school this year. I live in an unkempt apartment in an apartment block reserved for responsible orphans. I was a perfectly normal kid, and I did perfectly normal things. So obviously, things had to go downhill in the most ridiculously fantastical way possible._

* * *

Hiccup got up early, brushed his teeth, put on his (brand new) uniform, ate some breakfast, quickly made his bed and emptied the trash, before heading out. His apartment was nothing special. Three rooms and working hot water. That was all he needed. He weaved around the winding streets that was the Berk Unfortunate People's Complex. The neighbors weren't particularly nice, but he could deal. He joined up with his best friend Fishlegs Ingerman outside the gates. The young husky grinned nervously when he saw the auburn tween, "Hey, Hiccup, you're here! Are you excited?"

Hiccup grinned, "Course I am! Let's do this!"

They chatted amicably until they got to the middle school. Berk had low funds, and the middle school reflected that. The building had been touched up with whitewash, but no one could not take notice of the chipped and peeling paint. He had been here before, in the summers, for a photography competition. He had to say, the place looked loads better! Did they always try to give it a makeover at the beginning of the new school year to give a good impression to the beginners? The mahogany staircase looked new, quite a few of the lockers were shiny and polished. Hiccup leaned forward to look at the number on one of the lockers, before comparing it to the one he had written down. A-112, that's the one. He moved to unlock it, but a hand slapped his own away. He turned to look at the perpetrator exasperatedly, coming eye-to-forehead with one Snotlout Jorgenson. Odin, for someone that short, Snotlout could be really intimidating. If Hiccup remembered correctly, his dad used to brag all the time about them being related to the Jorgensons, and how in case of emergency, Hiccup's guardian would be Martha Jorgenson. But then he died, and the Jorgensons dropped Hiccup like a hot potato. Fishlegs eeped when Snotlout glared at him, and Hiccup glared right back. "What do you want, Snot?" he asked, resignedly. Snotlout was just a big crybaby.

Snotlout crossed his arms, "You can't take that locker!"

Hiccup just raised his eyebrow, unimpressed. Snotlout tended to throw his weight around a lot, since he was one of the only millionaire families of Berk, "It's mine, Snot." He said slowly, taking note of the situation. He wasn't much of a fighter, but he could talk his way out of sticky situations like this. But the Thorston twins behind him, cracking their knuckles, made it obvious that wouldn't help. He showed the locker number on his ID, "See? Why do you want this one anyway?" he needed to stay neutral, antagonizing won't help in this situation.

Snotlout scowled, "It's one of the new lockers, and its beside Babe's." he waggled his eyebrows at a blonde girl with a braid who was hanging back from the crowd –that he distantly recognized as Astrid Hofferson–, fidgeting uncomfortably, "My parents didn't pay for all these lockers just so I could get one of those rusty boxes!"

"That explains so much." Fishlegs whispered from behind him, nearly cowering.

"Thor, your parents aren't there to tend to your every demand, Snot. What does it matter?" Hiccup asked, thoroughly done with this.

Snotlout sneered, "You're just jealous that you don't have any parents! You're so Useless! No money! No power! Dirt poor!"

Hiccup looked right back at him, "At least I can take care of myself. You need everything to be done for you."

They continued glaring at each other, when Fishlegs tapped his shoulder nervously, "Uh…Hiccup, while you were arguing… they surrounded us."

Hiccup looked up to see indeed, aside from The twins, Dagur Oswaldson, Heather Oswaldottir, and Eret Eretson had crept up on them, "Surt." He swore. They froze, assessing the situation and did the only type of physical activity they were passable at doing; Run.

"Wait, get back here!" Dagur shouted, as the two weaved among the slowly growing crowd. The Red Sea of Berk middle schoolers quickly parted to avoid getting trampled by the extremely aggressive offspring of Berk's high elite.

Hiccup ran as fast as he could, but he could feel himself tiring. This was getting ridiculous! Had all those morning jogs been for nothing?! As, he and Fishlegs thundered along the hallway and kids immediately made way for him, even helpfully pointing out his path for Snotlout and his gang. Then, he ran headfirst into another kid. He blinked as he staggered back, to see a pale, black-haired girl looking at him in an amused fashion. She had her long hair tied up in a half ponytail and a black leather jacket several sizes too big over her uniform. The girl raised an eyebrow before stepping in between the two boys and the crowd of bullies, "What's this about?" she asked, in a no-nonsense tone. Tuffnut grinned, "We were about to beat up those guys for insulting Snot-Boss."

The girl snorted, " _Snotboss?_ "

And Eret scowled, "Don't disrespect him."

That just made her giggle more, "You guys sound like you're some sort of gang, and he's the boss thug. Wait… is he? Do you have a black market of chewing gum and hall passes?" that thought just sent her on another stream of senseless giggles.

Dagur growled and struck hard and fast to punch her, before it was intercepted by her hand, which, coolly and clinically and devoid of the former laughter, turned his arm around and pinned it to his back, "Self-defense exists, you know? What's this about, anyways?" she asked humorlessly as she slowly released him from his grip.

"I'd like to know that as well." A cool clipped voice said from behind them. The crowd of kids turned around to see Principal Mala Wing standing behind them, an intense frown on her face, "My office. Now. All of you." He demanded.

The students just wordlessly followed. They stood in her office awkwardly as the Principal silently glowered at them for the next ten minutes. When she finally spoke, the tension hadn't eased a bit, it had only thickened, "Now, what was the reason for this ruckus?"

Snot spoke first, his voice whiny and complaining, "You didn't give me a new locker like Dad told you to. You gave this old rusty one that should've been in the dump."

Principal Mala typed something into her computer, "I don't understand… the one we gave you _was definitely_ new. We bought it ourselves. And it was close to Miss Hofferson's as well."

Snotlout scowled, "Well, you messed up. Cause Useless ended up with the locker I wanted, on the opposite side of Astrid. So I told him to give it to me." He was about to throw a hissy fit. Principal Mala looked like she had dealt with way too many instances of this happening and Hiccup was just waiting for her to put them in detention, but she took one look at the computer screen, made a huge sigh, and turned her gaze to the black-haired girl, "So Mr. Jorgenson and company took chase of Mr. Haddock and Mr. Ingerman when he refused to give you want." She deduced, "So where do you come into this story, Ms. Light?"

The girl fidgeted, "Well, I saw those two being cornered by the posh kids, and thought they needed to settle things in a non-violent fashion. When I was hit by the redhead, I merely defended myself."

Principal Wing nodded slowly, "Two weeks detention, for you, Ms. Light, for striking another student. Eight days for you, Mr. Haddock, and Mr. Ingerman, for running in the hallways and disrupting normal conduct. Two days for the rest of you, and a reminder that violence isn't supposed to be your go-to solution."

Hiccup gave a resentful sigh as he walked out. Of course, nepotism. Its always nepotism. Well, at least he made a new friend from it, judging by the raven haired girl grinning at him. "Hi." She said, "I'm Luna Whiting-Light. Nice to meet you."


	2. The New Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the OC! Yes, I know, most people don't like OC-centric fanfics, and if that isn't your cup of tea, it's fine. Don't need to read this.

_This is Berk's education system. It runs on money, and will literally do anything to keep getting funded. It's bearable most of the time, but agonizing whenever people who are richer than you need to vent. I'm in detention. On my first day of school. For not letting bullies catch me and beat me up. I know it's stupid. Tell the in-school justice system that. I'm doing exactly what any normal kid would do in detention, i.e. spy on my fellow in-mates. Things get weird FAST._

* * *

He looked at Fishlegs, who was sitting and absently scribbling on his arm, possibly working on his math homework. Frey, it was so annoying being friends with someone with near-eidetic memory. They were allowed to bring in a pouch, but no books. That made no sense to him, but it served the kids well enough. He absently listened to some kids' tapped out conversation in Morse code– that was, admittedly, genius– and was pretty sure he understood none of it. He could see one of the weird otaku girls practicing weird hand signs at the front. One of the theatre kids was subtly practicing song lines underneath his breath. And he was _certain_ that kid two seats to his left and a little bit forward was reading from a Kindle or something. Then there were the other kids who were looking around for something to focus on. And they were all fixed on the black-haired girl he had known as Luna Whiting Light. Why? Because she, like any normal girl, was currently making a rather impressive sculpture of stationary. No, really. She had disassembled three pens up till now and was making something that looked somewhat like an exploding volcano out of pens, paperclips, alligator clips, moldable artist erasers and weird bendable pencils. He found himself wondering if she had brought the ridiculous amount of stationary as a back-up plan in case of being handed a detention slip. He really needed to get to know her better. He had tried to approach her during lunch, but she had practically disappeared, so he assumed she had preferred to eat outside. That was an option, but only something of any use to the kids who could go to a fast food joint order something and then eat it on the way back. She was pretty nice as a far as people went, and was pretty distinctive, so he really couldn't understand why he had never seen her before.

After detention, he walked up to her with purpose, she was standing in the corner, reading a book, "Um, hey? Luna Light?" he asked, nervously,

The girl looked up in interest, "Yeah?"

He bit his lip, "I…er… would like to thank you for stepping in for me. I appreciate not getting beat up."

Her lips twitched, "Yeah, most people would. And it's no problem. Anyone would do that. In fact, I'm confused as to why people didn't do that _before_."

Fishlegs had caught up with them by now, "What do you mean?" he asked, "The 'rich clique' pull this stuff all the time. Usually people just don't intervene. Are you new to Berk?"

Luna grinned, "Yeah, I'm a transfer, from Hopeless."

Fishlegs squealed, "They have this big convention every year, don't they? About the recent scientific developments of the Archipelago?"

Luna nodded eagerly, "My mother works in the marketing division of Soar, that company that makes virtual flight simulators and stuff, so she takes me there every year."

Hiccup whistled, "Man, that's awesome! Did you see anything interesting last time around?"

She nodded, "Yeah! They've been working on this special flight suit based off of the design of the Night Fury! It's incredible, but still a work in progress."

Hiccup was in awe. He had always been interested in science and robotics, but had never been able to go to Hopeless for the Science Convention. As the trio walked along with her in a slow meander, making small talk, a car pulled up in front of them. A sleek, dark blue Stryker. Just absolutely incredible. He had never even been this close to racecar this expensive. His mind literally short circuited. The window rolled down, and a driver looked through, "Ms. Luna, come on, you're late as it is."

Hiccup glanced at Luna, who nodded immediately, before looking at Hiccup, "Yo, do you guys walk home, or do you want me to drop you off…?"

Her face was kindly sincere, like there was absolutely nothing wrong with asking two kids from the lowest pecking order if they wanted her to drop them off in her possibly 1 million kroner car. "I-I'll just walk…" he finally managed out.

Fishlegs fidgeted nervously, "Y-Yeah. Me too."

Luna pouted, "No, you won't. You live halfway across town. The bus is long gone. You're gonna come with me and like it. The seats are hella comfortable. I promise."

With that, she grabbed their wrists and pulled them into the car.

The next few minutes were uncomfortably quiet as she slid into the shotgun seat, and the driver started up a conversation with her, "So, how was your day, miss? How bad is the damage?"

Luna waved her hand, "Nonexistent. I'll be in detention for the next two weeks, but otherwise, I'm totally okay. Things will get straightened out soon enough."

The guy nodded, "And your classes? Were they fun?"

Luna nodded, "Of course! But, today were the introductory classes, so I bet things are gonna get much worse. It's the natural order of things."

Awkward silence, until Luna looked back at them, "You guys alright? We'll be nearing your district soon… can you point us the rest of the way?"

Fishlegs nodded, "S-Sure!" he was kind of jittery, and even Luna seemed to pick up on the tension.

"How bout some music?" she asked, "Any genre or band you guys like?"

Hiccup nodded hesitantly, "Ever heard of the Legends of Old?"

Luna's eyes brightened into a passionate smile, "Of course! Fafnir's Disappearance is my favorite. The saddest song ever. I think I have half their songs here…" she fiddled with the radio a little, before the opening bars of 'I was Hit by a Thunderbolt' started playing. Luna started finger tapping as they drove, and the tension in the car seemed to decrease a little. It was so confusing, a rich kid was willingly talking to them, even though they knew he and Fish were at the bottom of the societal pecking order. It just felt like a disturbance in the Force. "-cup? Hey, where are you?"

He snapped out of his reverie to see Luna snapping her fingers in front of his face, leaning back from the shotgun seat, "Um… yeah?"

"You looked like you were a thousand miles away." She commented, as she brushed her hair away from her eyes, "I was asking you were your house was."

Hiccup blinked, "Oh… yeah, its…" he looked around, "Turn right here, then keep going forward until…" the driver immediately swung right, and Luna covered a yawn.

Hiccup quickly pointed out directions, until he reached his apartment block, "There. Thanks. Come on, Fish." Fishlegs stumbled out beside him, and as they were leaving, he heard a snore coming from Luna and stifled a snort. Wow. That was so bizarre. Did it even happen? Or was he hallucinating?

* * *

Hours later, the Stryker was stopped in front of a large mansion, several stories tall. The driver nudged her awake, and the girl sleepily blinked awake. "Oh, good." she yawned, "Sun's going down. I'll be out for my nightly excursion. I trust that you'll be fine?"

The guy nodded, "I'll clear up everything with the parental units."

She grinned as she tightened her hair, "Good luck with that, Erik! Hey, could you take my bag to my room as well?"

Erik levelled her with a glare, "I was not assigned to this to be your servant."

Luna giggled, "Well, you went to butler school for this, didn't you? Why let it go to waste?"

He just sighed, "Just get out of here, Lizard."

She huffed playfully, but picked up her bag and got out anyways, watching the car speed away. She walked into the empty house, that was tastefully decorated in rich dark colours and smooth classy wooden and steel panel. Cool, cutting-edge, modern. She went into the kitchen, and slid open the fridge, looking into it for leftovers. It was mostly empty, but it had a Tupperware container with fried deboned fish and some rice that was marked 'Dinner'. She picked it up, and went back into the main hall, where an elevator was situated. There was a picture inside, of Luna and a busty woman with wild blonde hair standing beside a boy with bright blue eyes as he displayed a certificate. She clicked on the roof button, and took a deep breath as she hugged her container close.

When she reached the top, she tossed her bag to the side, and looked around. Compared to the rest of the house, the roof was less fancy, more efficient. It had a bathroom and a changing room, and an open air sitting room all in drab colours. Luna quickly dropped her oversized jacket, and opened the Tupperware container. Steam curled around it as it opened, the food pleasantly warm. She curled up on one of the couches as she ate, then got up and stretched once she was done. She went to the railing at the back of the roof, testing it out with her hands, lifting herself up with only upper body strength, then tumbling forwards. Onto thin air, and a five story drop.


	3. Chapter 3

_This is my life now. I'm now constantly attached by the hip to what seems to be the richest kid in the entirety of Berk, and she acts perfectly normal. It's just bizarre. I worked off my detention, and now I've been dragged into 'assimilating' Luna to Berkian Society. It's just so so weird. We're right now at the Berk, celebrating Thor's day Thursday. Things are good. For a while. Then it kinda goes crazy._

* * *

Hiccup and Fishlegs grin as Luna looks around the hallways in awe, looking at all the little thunderbolts and hammers strung from string and decorating the area. A hook on the side of the wall even carried a wooden conical holder with a contraption of fan and streamers that were obviously meant to be a torch in darkness. "So you do this, every summer?" she asked, ducking to avoid a kid carrying what looked like a segment of a giant paper Mache snake.

"Yeah!" Fishlegs said easily, "To pray for gentle rain for the crops and no snow and storms. Didn't you do this in Hopeless?"

Luna shrugged, "We have this festival for Frey, not Thor. Hopeless is more about the Aesir than the Vanir."

Hiccup nodded, "What was it like?"

Luna grinned, "A parade of torches, in pitch-black darkness. We'd have traditional food out, and all sorts of games. A proper festival. What's the school planning for this?"

"Fundraiser." Fishlegs informed, "The theatre kids are putting together a few skits about his greatest feats, after that, it's just a costume party"

Luna hummed, "And what're we doing?"

Hiccup shrugged, "Depends. A lot of the elite are skipping out, had their parents buy them out of this. That means we'll be stretched thin."

Fishlegs jumped in, "Which'll mean that we could be running around as stage hands, or ushers or even food servers."

Luna grinned, "So, it's a coin toss, huh? Sweet. What do you wanna bet we get close by jobs?"

Fishlegs' eyebrows scrunched together as he calculated, "Next to none." He finally decided.

Luna slumped, "Ah man, why'd you have to crush my dreams like that? So cruel…" she added, jokingly.

Hiccup dodged a giant axe being carried by two kids, "Yeah, well, guy's do any of you know where you're going?" he asked

Luna nodded, "Duh. Vice Principal Throk to find out our assignments. How could you forget?"

Hiccup's mouth twitched, "You passed it a couple minutes ago."

Luna face-palmed, "Gah! Come on!"

The two just amusedly sighed and ran after her, as she ran to the Vice Principal's office. The board was slightly crowded, stopping the trio from being able to see over the heads.

"How. Do. I. See?" Luna, as the shortest of them all was jumping up and down, trying to get a look, "Can any of you see?"

Fishlegs craned his neck, "Sorta? I mean the top names I can see kinda, but our names aren't there…"

Hiccup wobbled, "I can see a little if I stand on my toes…"

Luna clapped her hands, "Brilliant! You just need a boost!"

Hiccup blinked, "A what now?!"

Too late, Luna had scooped him and put his knees on her shoulders. They wobbled, before steadying, and Fishlegs released a breath, and Luna nudged Hiccup's leg, "Do you see it?"

"Uh, yeah. Don't nudge me, this is scary as it is. Me and Fish are on decorating duty… Um… a little higher Luna… you're a stage hand."

Luna grinned, and fist pumped, "Hell yeah, you guys'll be free when I'm–Woah!" she teetered back, arms pinwheeling, and Hiccup and Luna hit the ground. HARD. The two winced as they gingerly stood up, Fish awkwardly trying to help them up. "THIS IS GONNA BE AWESOME!" she cheered as soon as she got up.

"Ow…" Hiccup whimpered, "Why am I friends with you?"

Luna quirked an eyebrow, "Cause I'm just awesome!" she teased, "Come on, though! Lunch is on me!"

Fishlegs blinked, "Er… what?"

Luna nodded, "I ate at the cafeteria yesterday. They serve absolute slop, and no friends of mine are gonna suffer through that for at least more than a week. So, I got Erik to get us takeout. What do you think of Subway?"

Hiccup grinned, "Sure, why not? I'm paying though."

Luna pouted, "Aw, come on! Let me do this! I've got a thousand kroner to burn through!"

Hiccup shook his head, "I can do it, it's really not any trouble."

She glared, "Well, I insist."

He glared back, "No way."

They both said at the same time, "I'm paying!"

Fishlegs interrupted them, "Uh, guys, why don't we pay for ourselves?" he squeaked, "Cause I think lunch is gonna end soon."

They both blinked, "Oh, yeah…" they said in unison, like a brick had smacked them in the face.

"We could do that." Hiccup nodded.

"Why didn't we think of that sooner?" Luna asked.

* * *

Luna walked onto backstage before the play, to meet her partner for this job. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt under a huge jacket– It went nearly to her knees!– and a pair of purple earrings, with a red ear-cuff on her right ear and a black ear-cuff on her left. She recognized the blonde girl who grinned at her, waving rambunctiously, "Over here! Luna Light, right?" she asked.

Luna nodded, "Uh huh, and you're Astrid Hofferson?"

Astrid grinned, "Yup! So we're partners for this?"

Luna nodded, "It would seem so." That was followed by awkward silence, as Luna casually unwrapped a piece of gum and started chewing.

"So, uh…" Astrid started as she watched Luna blow a bubble, then pop it. "I've never seen you before this year, are you a new student or something?"

Luna gave her a side eye before cautiously commenting, "Or something. I'm a transfer, actually, from Hopeless. You?"

Astrid grinned toothily, "Proud native Berkian. My dad's in the army. My mom's a tennis player for the Berk Vikings."

Luna's lip twitched, "Bet you get front seats to all of her matches."

Astrid nodded, "And her friends'. Anyways, I bet Hopeless had a much better government education, right? So why're you here?"

Luna played with the sleeve of her abnormally large jacket, "It's kind of a long story… but basically, my mom decided that Hopeless didn't focus on the Arts as much as I needed, and Berk High has a great Pyrotechnics program… so this really was the best choice."

Astrid laughed, "Yeah, that's one of the few things we're famous for. Teaching people how to blow stuff up and make it look incredible at the same time."

Luna shook her head, "Nah, man, fire and explosions always look cool. They help them look cool _er._ "

Astrid just shrugged, "Whatever you say. Do you wanna sit on my table at lunch. Snot has a free seat at all times."

Luna wrinkled her nose, "That short guy who was chasing Hiccup?"

Astrid grimaced, "Yeah, that's him. He's not really bad, just a seriously spoilt brat."

Luna nodded, "Tell me about it. I can't believe he won that argument. Chasing down a kid who just happened to have the locker you wanted? Not okay. Why did he want to sit by you, anyways?"

Astrid groaned, "He likes to think we're dating. I hit him really hard every time he implies it, but that just makes him think I'm playing 'hard to get'."

Luna smothered a laugh, "That's awful! Complain to your dad, he would care!"

Astrid just shook her head, "Nu-uh, Snotlout has a lot of power. The Jorgenson's are the main suppliers and provide the best storage facilities on Berk. He could land my dad into serious trouble if he tries to make Snotlout stop. It's not much of a crime, really. More like a delusional teenager who doesn't understand rejection."

Luna huffed, "Wow, Berk is a MESS. And Hopeless was pretty out there, too. That's why it's called Hopeless. At least our corruption is a little better concealed."

"You two! Stop chit-chatting and get ready to switch the background for the next scene!" A woman hissed, "Come on, gogogogogo!"

The two giggle and quickly ran up the metal staircase to get to the sandbags, "Don't they have automatic systems for students to use?" Luna asked, "Like, these railings are pretty low. Anyone can fall at any time."

Astrid grunted as she untied the rope, "Yeah but we can't afford it. The regular stage crew would be here, but they're needed onstage."

Luna rolled her eyes, "So they put the job on inexperienced people like us? That's just unfair."

Astrid laughed, "Yeah, well, this happens. As soon as we get the UN's attention, though, we might be able to get global support in funds."

Luna grinned, "So basically never?"

Astrid chuckled grimly, "Yeah, well, you seem to get it."

Luna nodded, "Duh."

As the curtains slid down, Astrid and Luna released the sandbags, bringing the background up at the same time someone lowered the other one. Some scuffling ensued, before the curtains went up, and she caught a brief second of a person in a black suit and shades at the back of the auditorium as an usher handed them a sheaf of papers in a dull blue leather pouch that differed greatly from the red leather program he was meant to be handing out. She rubbed her left ear, "Man, there are so many bugs in the back." She muttered, "Especially high up."

Her watch lit up with a notification, and Luna leaned forward to read it, **Mom: Hey, sweetie! The play's looking good!**

She lit up, quickly typing back, " **Yeah. It is, isn't it?"**


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Birthday Party. Also the time when shit goes DOWN.

_Thor's day was over, and nothing much happened. Luna made it her personal mission to buy us all food. Every. Single. Day. It was ridiculous. In retrospect, though, it made sense. Sorta. Even if it hurt my dignity. Why? Well, her birthday happened, that's what._

* * *

Luna hugged her jacket close as she skipped behind Fishlegs and Hiccup to Science class. "So, I never got to ask you guys." She said, "But it's my birthday next Saturday, and Mom's letting me have a birthday party at my house. So, I wanted to invite you. What do you say?"

Fishlegs shrugged, "It's sounds cool. Who else is coming?"

Luna grinned, "My cousin, Cameron. A couple of my mom's friends, just because, and that's about it."

Hiccup quirked a brow, "You don't have many friends, do you?"

Luna shrugged, "Kind of hard to relate with them, ya know? Now that you've moved away, friends are now just… acquaintances, I guess?" she noted nonchalantly.

Hiccup grinned, "Well, we'd love to come!"

* * *

And that's how he found himself on the steps of a huge, extravagant mansion lined with balloons. Suddenly, he felt severely under dressed in his one formal shirt. He wondered if she would even like the sketchpad and art supplies he had forked over for. Probably not. He rang the bell, slowly and carefully. Immediately, the door was yanked open by Luna, who saw him and wrapped him in a hug, "Hi! Glad you could make it! Fishlegs is already here, so come on in!" She was wearing flair jeans, and a regular oversized hoodie. She roughly yanked him inside, and he got a look of a couple adults in formal wear sitting in a heavily decorated room with a coffee table surrounded by sofas. Luna pulled him into an elevator and eagerly jabbed the third floor button while maintaining an iron grip on him. It opened up to a fairly empty corridor, with the random certificate or medal or expensive vase along the sides. She bounded up to a door and swung it open, "Welcome to my humble abode!" She declared in a loud voice, causing Fishlegs, who was inside, to squeak and spill his soda.

The walls were eggshell, and there were a few squashy brown armchairs. In front of them, a huge flat-screen TV with a console attached was set up on the wall. There was even a fireplace, and old-timey voodoo amulets. On the sides, balloons and streamers were hanging. There was even a disco ball that he suspected was there for merely aesthetic purposes. A table of food was set up, with special desserts he was pretty sure had been imported from Far Far Away. Music was playing in the background, and Luna was grinning excitedly, "Cameron should be here soon. You're gonna love him. He's not technically my cousin, more like my aunt's brother-in-law's first wife's son, but his mother and my mother were really close. I bet you guys would get along great!"

Hiccup nodded awkwardly, "Uh, yeah. Great."

Luna grinned tightly, "But, well, this is kinda awkward. And, well, I really wanted to show you something. Just don't scream, kay?"

He and Fishlegs shared a glance and nodded uncertainly, and Luna took a deep breath. Slowly, she grabbed the zipper of her hoodie. And pulled. The tension slowly rose, as she tossed it off, letting it pool around her feet. She raised her hands uneasily, "Ta da?"

Hiccup blinked, then rubbed his eyes, what was he looking at? Was this a dream? Probably. Yeah, his mind was just thinking up outlandish things that Luna hid under her jacket. This was a strange hallucination. Did he eat something weird recently? Well, where he came from, weird food was the norm, but –

The reason for his shock. His friend, Luna Whiting Light, was standing in the middle of her outrageously extravagant party room, with jet black wings on her back, and a tail. With fins.

Fishlegs recovered first, "You're a part dragon?!" he yelled.

Luna fidgeted, her wings drooping, "Maybe? Like…evolution, and Viking-era gene splicing?" she offered.

Fishlegs grinned, "Oh Thor, that's awesome! Teach me!"

Luna rubbed the back of her neck, "I told you, it's hereditary genetics. You can't do it."

Hiccup changed the subject, "Can you fly?"

Luna grinned, "Uh huh. And this." She puckered her lips and blew out, like a whistle. Instead though, a flash of purple fire came charging out, hitting the fireplace and lighting it.

"Awesome." The two boys echoed.

Luna laughed, "I know, right? I can do it with my hands, too. And I'm basically impervious to fire!"

"Holy Odin!" Fishlegs squeaked, "This is awesome! Is this why you moved to Berk?"

Luna waved her hands vaguely, "Sorta. I can't tell you right now, but I'll tell you later. But yeah, people in Hopeless really don't want weird girls with lizard attributes flying around and shooting fire."

Fishlegs blinked, "And Berk does?"

Luna shrugged, sinking into one of the armchairs, tail curling around her feet, "Cameron's mother pulled a few strings. As long as I don't flaunt it, people will just silently dodge around it."

A knock sounded on the door, and a voice called out, "Hey, Moony? You and your friends in there?"

Luna nodded, "Yep! Come on in, Cameron!"

The door swung open to show a young teenaged boy with wild curly hair, and blue eyes. He wore a dress shirt and dinner jacket coupled with scuffed jeans and old converse shoes. He grinned as he looked at Hiccup and Fishlegs, "So, which one's Fishbone, and which one's the hiccup?" he asked jokingly. But his eyes were sharp and steely.

Luna gave him a finger gun, and a little purple plasma shot out to skim near his ear. Cameron yelped theatrically. "That's Fishlegs Ingerman." She pointed, as Cameron sidled up to the snack table and picked up a pastry, "And that's Hiccup Horrendous Haddock."

"The Sixteenth." Hiccup grimaced.

Cameron snorted as he shook his hand, "Ugh, gotta love the Archipelago's naming traditions. My real name is Cameron Windsor Bogthorpe. Good to meet you. She told you guys about her wings?"

Luna whacked him with her tail, "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not wearing my jacket; they would've noticed anyways."

He laughed, "True, true. So, Fishlegs, was it?" he gestured at Fishlegs.

Fishlegs nodded, "Yeah?"

Cameron grinned cheekily, "You the guy who won that science competition? For the mechanics of an organic flamethrower?"

Fishlegs grinned, "Yeah! I got the idea after hearing about Bombardier beetles."

Cameron grimaced, "Gah, I hate those things. The absolute worst."

Hiccup leaned forward, "Why?"

Luna stifled a snicker, "He got sprayed in the face by one once. Now he's convinced they're the spawn of Surt."

Hiccup shuddered, "Fair enough, actually."

Fishlegs spoke up, "Hey, if you've got draconian traits, does that mean your parents did too? Did you ever see any dragons? They must be real, right?"

Luna shrugged, "I dunno, maybe? I know my mother had wings, but she never flew on them. But actual dragons? No one from my family actually remembers ever seeing them."

Hiccup grinned, "They could be real, ya know? Maybe, during Snoggletog holidays, we could charter a boat or something, and try to track down a Dragon Nest?"

Fishlegs grinned, "That would be so cool!"

Luna and Cameron exchanged glances, before Luna sighed, "I dunno… maybe? I guess it would be awesome, but this isn't all its cracked up to be and… oh what the hell, I'm in."

Cameron looked like he wanted to slam his head against something, but didn't say anything about it, "I'll have to bail, sorry. I don't think we'll be back before my high school opens up. That and my parents usually celebrate Snoggletog with the whole family, _together._ I honestly think even Luna won't be allowed to come, since her mother usually has her spend the holidays _with us._ "

Luna sighed, "Gah! He's right! I totally forgot! Maybe I could get Mom to let me off this year, I'll try. So sorry to disappoint, guys."

Hiccup shrugged, "It's okay. Get an answer then we'll start planning."

She grinned, "Sweet! Alright, this is getting boring, let's go play something!" She swooped up, her wings perking up.

Fishlegs nodded, getting up too, "Sure! What game?"

"HIDE AND SEEK!" Luna suggested gleefully, "I'll be it. You guys hide, all unlocked rooms are free game, and I'll count till a hundred."

Cameron shrugged, "Why not? Sounds like fun!"

Luna covered her eyes with her hands and turned around, "One! Two! Three!" The three boys immediately bolted to the door. Cameron headed for the stairwell, while Fishlegs turned right from the open corridor. Hiccup quickly tried all the doors, none of the were opening when he twisted the knobs, until he spotted an open door, he crept in. It was a sitting room, filled with elegant couches and expensive decorations. He held in a breath as he gently moved inside, tucking himself behind the velvet sofa. There was a huge grate underneath him, probably for a ventilation shaft or something. He sucked in a breath as he heard the scaly scuffle of Luna's tail, and the frantic flapping of her wings and the approaching shadow. He shrunk down smaller and smaller. He put a hand on the grate as he moved backward, and the grate slid away, and he fell inside.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup accidentallies himself into an underground bunker. Why him? Because he's HICCUP! Tossing him around is the universe's favourite past time.

_This. Is. Insane. It's teetering on the fine line between Danger and Awesomeness. A couple minutes away from 'Extreme Mind Blow' and just a few minutes behind a 'Startling Revelation'. I am about to start freaking out right about now. Why? Because some people have secrets like, "My uncle used to do illegal drugs." Or "My father was convicted for yak smuggling." Not me. My secret? My best friend is a half-human, half-dragon hybrid, who works for the Archipelago's SECRET SERVICES! I MEAN, WHAT THE HELL?!_

* * *

Hiccup lands on his feet, then immediately wishes he hadn't as the impact jolts through his entire body. What was he thinking?! It didn't matter that he landed on some sort of really flat mattress. That helped nothing! He slowly got up, looking around. The room was pretty quiet, some sort of bunker, he guessed? There were a quite a few weapons on the walls. Expensive. LARGE. Weapons. There were emergency supplies as well, little cans and rations bars, bandages, splints, and many standards first aid kits. What was this place, some kind of doomsday bunker? He finally figured out where the door was, a smooth slab of metal, completely air tight. Nothing could get in. Nothing could get out. Except for the ones who had the correct keycard, if that little card scanner on the side was to be trusted. He looked up to see where he came from, and found a small trapdoor on the ceiling, marked, "Drop chute" but that didn't help anything. He looked around for some kind of insignia or something. Maybe a way to call for help? He found a little phone that could be used. It was marked with the logo of one he recognized as the one belonging to the Archipelago's Secret Services.

"What the hell…?" he asked as he looked through the place. Yep, all the weapons, from tasers to rifles were ASS sanctioned. What was going on? Slowly, he became aware of the fact that he was slowly getting sleeping. His breathing slowed, his eyesight went fuzzy, and he blacked out.

He woke up sitting on a chair, handcuffed to the table in front of him. A woman was looking at him that reminded him vaguely of Cameron, well except for her bust, Cameron didn't have that. Thankfully. She stared at him critically, "Do you know where you are, Mr. Haddock?"

Hiccup shook his head, "No. Sorry."

She hummed, "I suppose you wouldn't. We are the ASS, I'm sure you have gathered that, and I am Bertha Bogthorpe, Director of the ASS."

He nodded, "Uh… yeah. I don't know what I'm doing here. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to walk into a secret project. Please don't kill me!"

She chuckled darkly, "We'll see to that later. For now, one of our agents wishes to speak with you."

Hicuup nodded tentatively as the woman walked out and instead, came in…

"Luna?!" There was no mistaking it, there was the same black hair, and the same wings and tail, and holy Thor that was still weird to think about.

She grimaced, "…Hi, Hiccup. I'm so sorry this had to happen."

He drew his own conclusions, "Wait, you're an agent for the ASS?"

She snorted, "I'm so sorry. I could never keep a straight face whenever someone said that. Just, ASS! Ha!" she slowly quieted down, "But, well, yeah. I was sent in on a mission in your school."

He looked at her, "Wait, your name isn't Luna? You lied to us? Are you even friends with us?"

Luna dithered, "No, er, please don't be mad! I did it for the best! But my name is Luna. Luna Light. And I honestly wanted to be friends with you guys. The thing is that there's a mole in this school, using the blatant favoritism to siphon information to a hostile force."

He looked at her like she was crazy, "In the middle school?" he asked skeptically. "A dangerous terrorist is getting his information from a middle school?"

She sighed exasperatedly, "Not the middle school itself, dumb-dumb. The parents of the KIDS in the middle school."

"That." Hiccup contemplated, "Makes infinitely more sense."

Luna nodded, "Yeah, I know. But I'm pretty certain we've boxed him in. He slipped up during the Thor's day celebration."

Hiccup hummed, "Alright. But… when will I be free to go? Just, why am I over here?"

Luna sighed, "Hide and Seek. The grate you pressed against was a drop chute that led to an emergency safe room made in case the building was attacked."

Hiccup looked away, "So, your mother doesn't work for Soar?"

Luna winced, "Er, no. She did. But now she's dead, so…"

Hiccup cringed, "I'm so sorry."

Luna shook her head, "It's alright. I guess, everyone dies eventually. But Bertha, she's my god mother, has been really kind, teaching me all the tricks of the trade. She's great."

Hiccup quirked an eyebrow, "Is she? Cause she did send you, a child, into a governmental program to turn you into a spy. Not that that's not cool and all, but seriously?!"

She whipped around her tail uneasily, "I'm more of an unofficial member since I'm not usually called for anything, they just let me do my own thing while making sure I'm in good condition and all that. This is my first mission."

"Why are you telling me this?" Hiccup asked. "Isn't it classified?"

"Not really." Luna shrugged, "Bertha wants me to have friends, so she's letting me tell you."

"What about Fishlegs?" he immediately asked, "Shouldn't he know as well?"

Luna nodded, "I was gonna tell you both as soon as the operation ended and the records for this investigation were released for the perusal of the general public. But… we needed to tell you what was up once you accidentallied yourself here."

Hiccup grinned sheepishly, "Sorry about that, by the way. But you said all unlocked doors were free game, didn't you?"

Luna sighed, "Who told you to lean into a ventilation shaft? How eager were you to win this game?"

Hiccup just scoffed, "We're Vikings! We're competitive about everything!"

"Fair enough." Luna grudgingly admitted. "Now come on! We'll have to get you out of here before any other agent's hear about you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup has lost all control of life. Now he's just like, fine, whatever.

_This is normalcy. It may seem like something that is commonplace and completely expected to you, but in my life, it is rare and should be treasured. It is encountered in the wild usually out of a five-mile radius of Luna Light, who is its natural predator and the embodiment of all things not normal. But I guess it runs in the family, right cuz?_

* * *

Hiccup looked at the newspaper Fishlegs had excitedly shoved in his face. It showed the picture of a redheaded tattooed student who he recognized as Dagur Oswaldson. Brother of Heather Oswaldson. The headline read, 'Berk Middle School Student Called in for Questioning About Passing Information to Terrorists.' He blinked, "Seriously?! Dagur?"

Fishlegs nodded eagerly, "I know, right? They're closing the school while the government investigates. So what do you wanna do?"

Hiccup shrugged, "I dunno. I mean, we don't really have the money for anything over the top, so we just gotta hope for the best."

Fishlegs nodded glumly, "Have you seen Luna? I don't think I've heard from her for a while." Not since a couple days after her party, anyways. He had seen her, but she had seemed preoccupied, this probably solved the question. He hadn't really talked much about the whole ASS thing. Suddenly, both him and Fishlegs were glomped together in a hug. Fishlegs squeaked as Luna laughed, her wings and tail under her oversized jacket. "Hey guys! Watcha doing?"

"Luna!" Fishlegs grinned, "We were just talking about you! Where've you been?"

Luna shrugged, "Nowhere particular. Mom's decided what with the whole school spy scandal that it's better for me to move back to Hopeless."

Fishlegs blinked, "Seriously?"

Luna nodded, casting a look around, "Yeah, but she says I can go tour the local historical sites with you guys before I leave! So, where do you think is cool?"

Fishlegs scratched his head, "Well, there aren't a lot of tourist areas here on the island… but a couple hundred miles due west, we have Old Berk. That's really cool, all our ancestors and stuff are from there and we tend to go there at least once in our life to write our names or whatever for future generations…"

Luna grinned, "That sounds awesome! Come on, ask your folks if you can leave for a week! Its gonna be awesome!"

And fast-forward three days, they were on a yacht sailing out to the charred ruins of Ancient Berk. Luna oohed at the old murals and weapons and books. Fishlegs found an old obelisk with his family tree on it, and etched his own in the rock with a penknife. "Hey, Hiccup? Do you see your family's hut anywhere?" Luna asked as she climbed an old ledge.

Hiccup shook his head, "Not yet. Maybe it's that one?" he said, pointing towards a lone ruin of a hut on the top of the hill. Luna grinned, and grabbed him by the arms as she flew up. Hiccup, predictably, screamed, making Luna drop him after going a couple meters forward.

She rubbed her ears, "Owwww, what was that for?" she winced.

Hiccup dusted himself off, "Sorry, I just, freaked. Don't do that, ever again."

Luna shrugged, "Yeah, well, sorry. You go up ahead. I'll just talk to Fish about the ASS."

He nodded, "Alright then."

He rushed up a head, leaving Luna to slow down until Fish caught up. He looked at her curiously, "I noticed you didn't seem all that surprised about Dagur being taken in questioning." He finally said, after a couple minutes of silence.

Luna flicked her tail, "You know you're my friend, Fish?" she said, Fishlegs nodded, so she continued, "Well, my mother died a few years ago, in an accident while experimenting on a plane. So, my godmother Bertha took me in."

Fishlegs cut in, "Bertha as in-"

"The director of ASS." Luna said in tandem with him, "Yes. Her. So, she needed my help for this mission, since no one except me could pass off as a thirteen year old kid, because, well, I am a thirteen year old kid. So, she needed me to do my own thing here, but keep an eye out for suspicious persons. And I did that. But now its over and my assignment is complete, so I'm leaving. But, I'll still talk to you guys, alright? Visit loads, maybe move here. Who knows?"

Fishlegs nodded slowly, processing all this, "So you're not rich." He deduced

Luna chuckled, "Uh, yeah. Sorta. Most of that was the money ASS was giving in return for working while I'm a minor. Extra luxuries and what not. Sorry."

Fishlegs grinned, "It's not that. But, uh, does Hiccup know?"

Luna grimaced, "Yeah. Slammed into the base of operations on my birthday party, actually."

Realization dawned upon the husky boy, "When we played hide-and-seek and I somehow won. I always wondered how it happened since Thor knows I'm awful at hiding."

Luna laughed, "You're not that awful… Come on! Race you to the top!"

And with that, she was off, using her wings to push her forward while not leaving the ground. "Cheater!" Fishlegs accused, while jogging up after her.

They found Hiccup at the front of the charred house, staring at the plaque erected for descendants to sign their names on. He turned towards them, "Uh, hey, Luna?" he asked, "Your middle name is Whiting, right?"

Luna trotted up, "Yeah, why?"

Hiccup gestured to a name, "You know this person?"

Luna looked at the family tree, "Holy Loki, there are a terrifying number of people named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock in this world." She finally remarked.

Hiccup deadpanned, "Yes, I realize that. But do you know this Lucile Whiting?"

Luna flicked her tail, "Wait, hold on, that was my grandmother's maiden name. Why is it here?"

As she pored over it she gasped, loudly, "Erika Light! That's my mother!"

Fishlegs frowned, "You two are related?"

Hiccup shook his head, "Never heard of you guys before."

Luna nodded, "I mean, my mother used to talk about a guy from like, Viking Era? Who was the first to tame dragons or whatever called Hiccup Haddock but I didn't think he was actually related to you guys. In hindsight, it's obvious, how many people were unlucky enough to be called Hiccup Horrendous Haddock?" she teased, giving Hiccup a noogie.

Hiccup pushed her off, "We should check official records, right?" he asked, "To see if we're related or not?"

Luna nodded, "Yeah, I'll ask Aunt Bertha if we can use the ASS database."

And that was how she led them into a government building filled with bustling people, leading them into what was obviously a super-secret library. Hiccup and Fishlegs stood about awkwardly as Luna strode in, talking to the guards amicably. "Do you come here a lot?" Fishlegs asked as he pressed his thumb into a pad and signed a document confirming his entering the building, "Cause you seem to be really familiar with them."

Luna shook her head, "Not really, I've never really seen these guys before, but it just helps to act like you know them, you know?"

Hiccup nodded, "So, the Archives have information on everything?"

Luna shrugged, "Well, the one in HQ does, anyways. And we don't have the clearance for anything here except the Haddock family and relations, so we wouldn't be able to access it anyways. So don't get your hopes up."

As they walked into the where folders and filing cabinets lined the walls, and tables with computers were set up in the middle, with a couple shelves set up in a grid-like pattern, Fishlegs' eyes grew wide, "Holy Frey," he whispered, "I think this is heaven."

Most of the people working diligently at the desks or looking through shelves didn't even twitch but a blond boy looked up that Hiccup recognized as Cameron, "Well then, you and I have a very different definition of heaven, my friend." The blond laughed.

Luna's face lit up, as she hugged him, "Cameron!"

Cameron grinned, "Hey, Luna! I'm guessing you guys are looking for something or have you been recruited? I swear, you guys are getting younger and younger."

Fishlegs shook his head, "Er…no, we were looking for information on the Haddock family?"

Cameron nodded, "Alright then, you'll be needing a computer. You can have mine." He rolled his spinny chair back.

"Isn't your work important?" Luna asked, concerned.

He shrugged, "Just a monthly report, nothing major. Go ahead."

She grinned, and hugged him, "Thanks!"

They started off simple, going from their parents and branching off from their, going from siblings to second cousins to uncles and aunts, until they finally located the link, "My grand mother's father came from a branch of the Haddock family, called Whiting, who was related to your great grandfather as a second cousin!" Luna finally squealed, before being shushed by five different people.

"Huh." Hiccup said, "That's so bizarre."

Luna grinned, "Well, I think it's awesome! I've never had family before!"

Fish legs grinned, "Woah, Hiccup has dragon blood in him? That's so epic!"

Hiccup hummed, "Cool, cool, cool. So, now that we just spent our day doing that, what do you want to do next?"

Luna shrugged, "No idea. What do you wanna do?"

Hiccup grinned, "Do you think dragons are real? Like, what happened to them?"

Luna flicked her tail, "They went into hiding. It's just too hard to be a dragon and not be hunted. I've always wanted to find a dragon nest, maybe build a sanctuary for them. But hopeless isn't the right place for it."

Fish legs grinned, "Ooh! We're going dragon watching?"

The two boys grinned excitedly and Luna raised her wings, "Well, why not? We've got a week left. Let's go!"


	7. Dragon Nest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup and Luna enter the Dragon Nest. Epicness ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the original version of this story, on FFN, called How to be a Rebel: Dragon Style, was written a couple months before HTTYD 3 was released. And I accidentally predicted that original Berk would be destroyed in that one, and the dragons would be released. Go check it out! But I got a lot of things wrong as well, so I fixed them. Remember, this is technically taking place several decades into the future of the movies' canonical universe.

_Dragons. They are something that the world has never truly learned to appreciate. Something they should have treasured. Because, it wasn’t until all the dragons disappeared, and humanity was left alone, with no supernatural help, did Vikings realize how much they depended on dragons. And now, we were about to find them again._

* * *

And that was how they found themselves on a raft, with safety equipment and enough food for a week. Fishlegs had to duck out at the last second, due to family issues, so it was just Luna and Hiccup for this trip.

Luna seemed excited, eagerly dashing ahead with her wings, listening for any sign of dragon presences. They started off in Old Berk, then started moving towards the Gates of Helheim, where a previous Dragon Nest was said to have been originally. As they approached the Gates, Luna landed on the boat, looking up at the literal wall of fog. “Holy Aesir.” She murmured.

Hiccup grinned nervously, “Having second thoughts?”

Luna shook her head, “No way. Lets find the dragons!”

And with that, they plunged in. The fog was thick. Really thick. Like, nigh impossible to see five feet in front of you, even with the help of the lights they had brought with them. “I can’t see anything!” Hiccup yelled, “What do we do?”

Luna put her hand on his shoulder, “How about you stop yelling?” She suggested, “Cause I’m right next to you.”

He grinned sheepishly, “Sorry, but how do we navigate? It’s really hard to– HOLY FREYA!” He swerved the rudder violently, just in time to avoid a rock pillar.

Luna grinned, “I got a plan.” She opened her mouth, which glowed eerily purple in the darkness and roared, releasing fire in a shockwave. She tilted her head, and screwed up her eyes, “Turn left.” She instructed. “Rock pillar. Eight o’clock, three minutes ahead.”

Hiccup nodded and eased the boat around it. Luna did the echo locating shockwave again, “All clear, keep on moving ahead, then turn right when I tell you.” They kept on doing this, until Luna’s tail twitched violently, “There’s something up ahead. I don’t know, but it’s calling me. Might be dragons.”

Hiccup grinned, and brought the boat forward. Finally, they came to a shore lined with smooth black rocks. There seemed to be a hum of energy in the air, probably louder for Luna, since she was covering her ears to muffle it out, “Yup, definitely the right place.” She decided, “Now, where is the entrance…” she looked up, and raised her wings, before taking off, circling the mountain. She hovered at a spot somewhere out of Hiccup’s line of sight, then dove back down to him.

“Found anything?” he asked

Luna nodded excitedly, “Over there. I don’t think you’ll be able to reach, so I’m just gonna carry you.”

“You’re gonna– HEY!” he yelped as Luna grabbed him and weaved through the air to put him on the ledge. When she set him down, he fell, weak-kneed on the ledge, “Please, never do that again.” He whimpered.

Luna cackled, “You’re no fun.”

He just groaned and turned around, only to find himself face to face with a scaly green reptilian head. He immediately froze, a bead of sweat going down his nose as the thing looked at him curiously with beady red eyes.

Luna just rolled her eyes, and gave it a finger gun, shooting the ground right in front of the thing with a tiny plasma blast. The dragon switched its attention to her, sidling up to her, and sniffing her curiously, before finally giving an approving purr and running away.

Hiccup slowly sat up as the thing disappeared, “Wha-what was that?” he asked.

Luna rearranged her tail fins, “Speed Stingers. They don’t have any wings or fire power, but their speed is unparalleled, being faster than even a cheetah and an ostrich combined. Their tails have incredibly potent poison, equivalent to the black mamba.”

“That is terrifying.” He admitted, as they walked inside, “Are all dragons poi- Holy Odin…!” he murmured reverently as they walked inside the nest. Luna’s jaw hung open. The nest on the inside was incredible to look at. The walls were lined with amber and glass and iron, beautifully sculpted and lined with wax hives in some places. Tiny dragons flitted around like hummingbirds while older ones lounged about lazily. There were what he assumed were hot springs, since there was an impressive amount of steam coming off of it but it might as well have been lava and he wouldn’t know. There was a lagoon, that was most definitely water, that probably led out into the ocean, where a couple aquatic reptiles were dumping large amounts of food out of. Most of it was fish that he knew were rather common in the area. Berk was a fishing village, first and foremost, even if you weren’t in the trading field, you would know basic fish breeds and how much people paid to eat them. Some of the catch was rather odd, like the ridiculously large squid carcass that a couple dragons that resembled manta rays were feeding on. Luna and Hiccup looked around in wonder, and were mostly ignored by the dragons. Well, until, they came face to face with a black dragon with huge green eyes. It stared at them with narrowed eyes, looking first at Luna, then at Hiccup, then Luna again. Both cousins froze up as the dragon sniffed her curiously, only relaxing when he gave her a gummy smile, before jumping Hiccup, licking him violently.

Hiccup collapsed on the floor, “Oh- Thor, he’s _heavy._ ” He wheezed, under the weight of a dragon. “Let me go, please…?” he squeaked.

The dragon immediately got off of him, still grinning at him. Luna stared, “Hiccup. That’s a Night Fury.”

Hiccup looked at her, “The dragon that Hiccup the Third tamed?” he asked.

Luna nodded, awestruck, “The species I got my draconic traits from. But they’re severely endangered. Like, there were nearly obsolete in the Viking Era.”

The dragon stared at Luna sniffing her, and nudging her wings and tail curiously. He purred, blue patches of scales glowing around him. “Can you do that, too?” Hiccup asked.

Luna shook her head, “No, only the Alpha can do that.”

The Night Fury turned towards Hiccup, lifting his wings, to reveal a saddle and a prosthetic tail fin. “That’s some serious machinery.” Hiccup noted, “It’s old, but more advanced than anything I’ve ever seen.”

Luna stared at the mechanism, “It’s also very rusty.” She noted, “Wonder who rigged it up?”

The Night Fury nudged himself closer, tail wagging eagerly. “I think he wants you to fly with him.” Luna noted. “That mechanism has eroded, so it’ll need someone to keep it steady at all times. So maybe he wants to go on a flight?”

Hiccup grinned, “Alright!” and he jumped onto the saddle, making himself comfortable, and taking up the reins, “Let’s do this, bud.”

The Night fury grinned as they took off into the cavern skies. Only problem was that Hiccup didn’t _exactly_ know what he’s doing. So when the dragon rushed about, trying to do barrel rolls, they failed miserably, unable to co-operate. He groaned as they landed in the dust in an alcove carved into the rock. He slowly got up and took a look around. This was a reasonably large living space, with a nest, and smooth slab of granite, some sort of chimney, and various chew toys and human knick-knacks scattered around. He scrambled backwards as the dragon loomed over him, “Please, please don’t eat me…” he murmured.

The boy looked around frantically, “Here! You like cod, right?” he pulled a large fish from the trough on the side, “Eat up!” he offered the fish forward. The Night Fury opened its mouth, revealing toothless gums, before the missing denticles snapped down and he grabbed the fish from Hiccup, swallowing it whole. He gulped. This was bad, very bad. The dragon was still leaning over him. He could kill him at any second, really. Its throat started moving, like it was pushing something out… re-regirting? Fishlegs would know… And then, just half a slimy enzyme covered raw fish landed in his lap, he remembered what the word was. Regurgitation. Eww…

He looked at the thing in his lap, and up at the expectant face of the Night Fury. It was licking its lips, making motions for him to… snap? Eat! He was getting good at Dragon Charades! He sniffed at the thing and almost gagged. It. Was. Rancid. Why him?!

* * *

**With Toothless:**

Toothless had been happy to see his young Rider. Granted, he looked much smaller than he remembered, and was wearing weird clothes compared to what he had worn. And where had his magnificent beard went? He remembered him spending so much time trying to grow that out. Oh well, it had been some time since they had last crossed paths. Maybe he decided that the beard didn’t suit him. Yes. The ‘Baby-Faced Man’ look was something that suited him much better. And who was that girl? The one with the dragon wings but the human face? He would have to see. But for now, his human was back! The Nest must celebrate!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toothless gets his prosthetic fixed up! And other stuff. But mostly that. And a whole lot of idle conversation.

Luna grinned eagerly as she skipped outside, “That was awesome!” she cheered. It really was. The dragon, whom Hiccup had decided to call Toothless since that was what had been etched into his harness had taken them on a tour around the Nest, and shown off his Alpha powers. The Baby Dragons were on a whole new level of adorable and everyone knew it. But now, the day was nearing to an end. Hiccup was trying to fix Toothless’ prosthetic tailfin, but with the lack of proper materials, it was impossible to properly restore.

He threw up the rag he had been using to grease the gears, “This isn’t working.” He announced, “I’ll have to ride him back to Berk so we can recalibrate this to work by itself.”

Luna nodded, “Yeah, I bet we could ask Bertha if she can help us fix it.”

Hiccup grinned, scratching Toothless on a spot on his neck that made the scales around his back click open and close, “Huh, bud? Will you like that? Wanna go to Berk with us?”

Toothless gave them a gummy smile and turned around so Hiccup could sit down on the saddle. Luna shrugged, “I’m ready when you are.” She crouched, opening her wings and tailfins for take off.

Hiccup looked out into the sky, and gulped, “Uh… okay, then. Let’s go.”

And with that, Toothless bounded forward, and dove from the cliff, hurtling down towards the sea, Luna following suit. Hiccup spluttered for a few seconds, before grabbing the reins and yanking up, clicking the prosthetic into position so that they pulled away from the water’s surface before they hit it. Good thing too, if he wanted to go cliff diving, he would’ve paid for it.

He breathed in deeply, turning around to see Luna hovering over him, the draft from her wings making his hair fly wildly. “You okay?” she asked.

Hiccup nodded at his cousin, “Y-Yeah. I think so. Fine. Just fine.” When he recovered from this fit of nerves, he patted Toothless, “Alright, bud, home?”

Toothless crooned, and flew in one direction as though he knew where he was going. Hiccup let himself take a back seat now, moving the prosthetic the way Toothless wanted it to, a little slow and clumsy, but he was improving. Until Luna pulled up next to Toothless, shooting a warning shot at an outcrop, which Toothless took as a signal to land. Once they were on the ground, she turned to Hiccup, “Toothless is going the wrong way.” She explained, “Like, the total opposite direction.”

Hiccup blinked, “Seriously?!”

Luna nodded, “Yeah, I’m not stupid, I took a compass with me. And he’s going the wrong way.”

Toothless looked equally confused, narrowing his eyes and looking around. Luna sighed, “He’s probably lost because he’s from the original Age of Dragons. Like, from Old Berk. He must’ve forgotten New Berk is here too.”

The dragon adopted a thunderstruck look before smacking himself on the head with his tail in the draconic variant of the facepalm­ –The facetail? –before sniffing the air a little and turning himself towards the right path. Luna looked at the compass dangling around her neck and nodded approvingly, “Yeah, we’re back on course.”

Besides that, the trip was completely uneventful, until the they reached New Berk. Toothless looked at the tall imposing downtown and the dingy alleys apprehensively, but dove in anyways, circling around Luna’s cover mansion under the cover of the fog. They landed on the roof, on a helipad and Luna stretched her arms, “That was awesome! Come on, I’ll ask Bertha if she can help with the prosthetics.”

Hiccup nodded, “Come on, bud! Let’s get you some food!”

Toothless eagerly followed after Hiccup, looking around curiously at the lights, and the sounds, and the contrasting temperatures as when they walked into the heated indoors. As they went down the elevator, Luna using her keycard to swipe them into the now-abandoned temporary base of operations, Toothless somehow squeezing himself in. It was a large elevator but _still._

They walked into the floor reserved for the ASS, and walked along the quiet, empty hallways. Most of the doors were locked and sealed, because reserve equipment was still store there, but except for that, there was nothing else. Their footsteps echoed eerily and Toothless could be heard shuffling along beside them in absolute clarity. “This is empty.” He pointed out, scratching Toothless’ ear flaps when the dragon gave a subdued croon. “How’re you gonna talk to Bertha here?”

Luna grinned, “Mission Control has all sorts of communicating devices, at least one of them is a hotline straight to the director, kept under lock and key, and with only one buffer between the source and the commander.”

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, “Mission control? Isn’t that a space-flight thing?”

Luna made a vague gesture with her hands, “I mean… yeah… it’s actually slang among ASS operatives for that one room in temporary bases that is needed to keep the whole thing running. Like commanders, and the person heading the case or investigation. Most important room in the base, when the thing is active, of course. Also the best defended.” She explained, as she swiped in her card, and pricked herself with a pin that stuck itself out of a socket in the wall, and sent the sample into a waiting box. Seeing Hiccup’s dubious gaze, she sighed, “Don’t worry, there’s a dispenser of pins on the other side, and used ones are thrown away.”

Hiccup sighed, “Good. I just got a cousin. I don’t want to lose her to stupid government DNA-verification tests.”

Luna smirked, “Aww… you care! Now you.”

Hiccup did a double take, “Wait, what? I mean… why? I’m not part of the ASS.”

Luna shrugged, “They’ll add it to the database, as someone who is second-handedly precious to the Director of the ASS in case of impersonation, hostage, or mistaken arrest.”

Hiccup gulped, “Are those real concerns?” Luna nodded somberly, “I don’t think I want to be your cousin anymore.” He said in after a shaky laugh.

Luna cackled, “Well, you don’t get a say in that!”

The doors swung open and she skipped inside, looking around the room lined with desks and covered by a thin film of dust. Toothless stuck his head in too, but then sneezed and backed away. Luna uncovered a section of the wall to reveal a screen. At the same time, a keyboard and a mouse popped out of a drawer on the desk he could only assume was where the one in charge sat. Luna typed in a couple things, inputted a password, clicked on something else, and then, finally, the call went forward to Bertha. It was picked up almost immediately by Cameron, “ASS, Berk Division, who’s calling?” he asked, before grinning, “Oh, hi, Luna! Hiccup. How’s it going? Find any dragons?”

Luna nodded vigorously, wringing her hands, “Umm… yeah, we did, actually. But he’s kinda hurt… and we don’t know how to fix it, and…”

Cameron grinned, “No worries, I’ll ask if anyone in that field’s free. Bertha’s kinda busy right now, so…”

Luna nodded, “Understood. Sorry for being a bother.”

Cameron laughed, “You’re not a bother. Next time, call me if you need anything.”

Luna laughed shakily, “Y-yeah, I’ll do that.”

He hung up, and Hiccup sighed, “You have a crush on him, don’t you?” he laughed.

Luna glared at him, then used her tail to knock his feet out, making him collapse on the floor. “Do not!” she huffed.

Hiccup chuckled even more, “You just proved it~” he sang.

Luna just sighed and dragged him out of the reserved floor, returning back to main parts of the mansion, and threw him on the couch. Hiccup groaned, “What on Midgard, Luna? What did I do to deserve that?”

Luna just shot him a look, that said you-know-what-you-did. Toothless followed after them, and gave him a reproachful look. Luna continued, “Besides, I know you have a crush on that Astrid girl. The one who’s hanging around with Snotlout and his cronies.”

Hiccup choked on his spit, “ _WHAT?!_ No, no, no, that-that wasn’t a crush. Really. Truly. Hundred percent not a crush.”

Luna laughed derisively, “Says you.”

Just then, a doorbell echoed through the house, making Luna and Hiccup turn towards the door. “Huh, I thought it would take longer to find people who could work on a dragon’s ancient prosthetic.” Luna noted, “Whatever…”

She walked to the door and opened it to reveal, a familiar well-toned blonde. She blinked, “Speak of Surt…”


	9. The Third to Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astrid freaks out on meeting Toothless, but Toothless sets the record straight.

The girl smiled uncertainly, “Uh… did you say something?”

Luna shook her head, “Its nothing, Astrid. Was there something you wanted?”

Astrid nodded, “Um, yeah, actually. You didn’t hand in your assignments for the school year, so Mr. Mildew wanted me to check up on you?”

Luna stared at her through the gap between the door and the doorway, “What assignments?” she asked, clueless.

Astrid stared non-plussed, before scowling, “You didn’t do your homework?!”

Luna laughed sheepishly, “Maybe~?”

Astrid glared, pushing the door open, raising her arms to punch, but then froze midstrike. Her pupils dilated out of fear, as she remained stunned. Before she stuttered out, “Y-You have _wings?!_ ”

Luna blinked, “Oh, yeah. I forgot you didn’t know. I have a tail as well. And can shoot fire too.”

Astrid groaned, “No, no, no, no, no. I’m not getting wrapped in things like this. I’m not. I don’t wanna know, whatever this is.”

Luna just smiled, “And what do you think it is?”

Astrid rubbed her head, “I’m hallucinating. Obviously. I knew that eel smelled off, I’m hallucinating because of it. Dragons aren’t real. Hybrids aren’t either. Either that, or this is some sort of really elaborate prank. Did you drag Hiccup into this? Only he has the art skills for something like this…”

As she was speaking, she suddenly got bowled over by a blur of hyperactive dragon. Toothless eagerly licked at Astrid’s face, like a hilariously oversized puppy.

She screamed, “OH THOR! I’M GONNA DIE! I’M GONNA DIE! I’M GONNA DIE!” she kicked viciously at Toothless, who wasn’t really all that affected by the kicks, but backed off anyways. The dragon stared at the blonde in shock, before shaking it off, and dragging Hiccup onto his back, scooped up Astrid in his mouth, and rushed the skies.

Hiccup was screaming too, but finally gathered his wits and slid his feet into the stirrups, guiding the dragon along in its glide across Berk. Luna stared at the three high up in the sky, before shrugging and taking off too. Cameron could wait.

As the sun vanished, and Berk was lost over the horizon, she realized a flaw in her plan. She couldn’t see Toothless. She sighed, and let out a radar blast. After this was over, she was gonna _eat._ Preferably everything the Salmon Vikings had to offer. Which was a lot. Astrid was easy to spot with her bright blonde hair, so it wasn’t hard to find them. They were losing altitude, so Toothless was probably aiming to land. She frowned as she beat her wings tiredly. Where were they? There wasn’t any mist anywhere, so nowhere near Helheim’s Gate, and the Dragon Nest. Other than that, she had no idea. Geography wasn’t her forte. She panted, opening her wings and tails fully to get the most out of this glide, letting out another radar blast, listening to the echoes of repelling blasts. She wasn’t good at multi-tasking, so she closed her eyes to focus on the sounds, looking for the sound of flapping, where were­– BANG. She slammed into a over hanging rock formation and collapsed, spiraling down to the ground. She wasn’t moving all that fast, so it wasn’t _bad,_ per se, but oh Thor her head pounded like an anvil had landed on it. She landed starfished, facedown, in between Astrid, who was backed away from Hiccup and Toothless in a defensive stance that was thoroughly ruined by her panic. They all turned to look at her and she groaned, “Oh, oh, Freya, give me a sec. Oh, gods, I think I’m dying!”

They all stayed silent until she recovered her breath and balance, finally finding enough energy to stand up at which point she looked between the two sides and approached with both hands held out toward either side in a placating gesture. “Hold on, you two, don’t get ahead of ourselves.”

Hiccup blinked, “Err… what?”

Luna nodded, “Okay, Astrid? Just calm down. Dragons; safe.”

Astrid’s hair had come out of her braid, and her face had taken on a panicky deranged expression, “Are you out of your mind?! That is a killing machine! It can destroy us! Set us on fire! You have wings! Why are you so calm?! _WHAT IS GOING ON?!”_

Toothless just rolled his eyes, and shot a blast of purple fire at a darkened boulder right beside Astrid. She screamed, covering her head and rolling away from it like one would do with a grenade, but instead of destroying anything, light erupted from the boulder, reflecting off of everything in an awe-inspiring mirage. Everyone froze, staring as the light calibrated itself, showing off images and silhouettes as if it was a shadow puppetry show. A flickering image of a boy greatly resembling Hiccup appeared, wearing an old fur vest and leather boots. It reached towards Toothless, while looking away from him, being left vulnerable. Toothless reached forward, but the light mirage dissipated. More and more images flashed forward. A blonde Viking threw an axe at a target before following with some choice kicks. When the illusion started to dim, Toothless shot another blast at the spot, so they could continue watching. They saw epic battles, ridiculous anecdotes. Two ruffian twins, a smart guy. Adventures of all sorts. Dragons from their wildest dreams. And a chicken. When the shadowy figures of the many many dragons disappeared into the darkness, a message pulled out, written in a language that Hiccup had a vague understanding of. “Its Old Norse.” Luna explained, “I know a little bit, but most of this is Greek to me.”

“I-I know Old Norse.” Astrid volunteered, “Mother insisted I learnt.”

Toothless shot another blast and Luna nodded weakly, “Yeah… uh… so what’s it say?”

Astrid hesitated, “Um… _To those who have discovered this message. I am Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, and when I was a kid, there were dragons. There were our trusted partners. Our friends. But near the end of my rein, we realized something. No matter how many times we defend them, their will always be someone else who wishes to destroy the dragons. They will always be hunted. They will always twist the truth of dragons, and paint them as something they are not. So if you have initiated contact with a dragon, and hate them by instinct, they will take you here, to tell you the truth. Where is here? This is the ruins of Dragon’s Edge, an outpost of Berk for the Dragon Riders. We have installed a variant of the Dragon’s eye, which will replay our story to you when exposed to dragon fire. You may use this as you wish._ ”

Luna gaped, “Woah…”

Hiccup nodded, “You said it, cousin.”

Astrid tore her eyes away from the missive as it faded away, “Wait… you’re cousins?!”

Luna nodded, “Uh huh. And I need a nap. Urgently.” And she fell to the ground in a heap.

Astrid hesitated, “Wait… how are we supposed to get home?”

Toothless shrugged, and gestured to his saddle, Hiccup just sighed, “I don’t think you can carry all three of us bud.”

They brainstormed for a couple minutes, but then their thoughts were cut off by the sound of helicopter rotor blades. Everyone turned to look at the descending Helicopter, which had the ASS insignia painted on it.

A megaphone started up, and Cameron’s voice blared over it, “Step away from Luna! I repeat, step away from Luna!”

Hiccup gulped, and Toothless defensively stepped over Luna’s collapsed form, jaw open to shoot. Suddenly targeting lasers appeared on Toothless, and Hiccup jumped in front of him. “Its alright!” he yelled, “He’s harmless! You’re just scaring him!”

The helicopter landed and a couple agents walked out, armed with stretchers and first aid kits. They carried Luna away, and one of them came towards Astrid with a cup of steaming tea and a blanket, “Hey, Ms. Hofferson.” He spoke patronizingly, “You didn’t deserve to be dragged into this mess, I’m really sorry. Here, we’ll get you warmed up, and you can sit in the back while we deal with­–”

Astrid growled, “Nuh-uh, I’m gonna be told what on Midgard is going on, and I’m gonna be told now! I’m not a porcelain princess! Do. You. Understand. Me?!” By now she was shaking the guy by the collar, as he nodded frantically.

The guy straightened himself up when Astrid let him down, and continued speaking, “Well, err… we were the team contacted by Cameron Bogthorpe for the treatment of a Night Fury brought in by Agent Light. When we arrived at the scene, however, there was no one there. Upon inspecting security footage, we found that you along with a distant relation of Agent Light’s were abducted by said Night Fury, and have been ordered to secure the dragon.”

He gestured to the people surrounding Toothless, gently holding up lightning rods.

Astrid gasped, “Toothless didn’t do anything wrong! You gotta let him go!”

Hiccup gestured wildly, “She’s right! You can’t do this!”

The guy sighed, “Look, kids, I don’t have authority for this kinda stuff. You’ll have to clear it with the upper tier. For now, we won’t hurt him, just tranquilize him and decide what to do with him later. That’s all I can guarantee.”

Hiccup shifted uneasily, “Alright,” he conceded, “I’ll do that. But I can stay with him the entire time, right?”

The guy groaned, “Fine. Whatever. But Miss Hofferson, your parents want you escorted home. You can’t go with the kid.”

Astrid nodded, “Understood.” She turned to Hiccup, “Is there anything I can do for you? Water your plants? Pass on a message?”

Hiccup grinned, “No plants, milady, but I would love it if you would tell Fish what’s up.”

Astrid frowned, “Fish… Fishlegs Ingerman?”

Hiccup nodded, “That’s the one. He lives at 203, Buliding C in Bork Apartments.”

Astrid nodded, “Alright then, I’ll update him about the situation.”

Hiccup grinned, “Thanks. I…gotta go, see you later.”

Astrid sent him a thumbs up, and lets herself be ushered to a different helicopter, while Toothless, thoroughly unconscious, was carried into another, which Hiccup climbed into. Everything would be alright.


	10. Filler 1: Release the Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna wakes up. Cameron hangs around with a bunch of middle-schoolers. And Hiccup gets used to the idea of being the cousin of a dragon hybrid/undercover agent.

Luna woke up in the infirmary and groaned. Overwork. Gods, she needed to work on eating heavier foods. Her wings had already fallen asleep, and weren’t willing to wake up. Just shifting them around sent pins and needles up her spine. She hated it when she fell asleep on her back. She never did it by choice, obviously someone had placed her here. She would’ve gotten up, but the bed was sooo comfy. And she was sooo tired, and she hadn’t– GRRR! She froze, her hands over her stomach. Oh, Freya. She sighed. Now, food or sleep? GRRR. Right, food. She got out of bed, shook herself vigourously and started stumbling towards the elevator. If it was night, the staff room should be full of food, newly stocked. She licked her lips as she walked into the darkened room. Only a single light was on, but it was all she needed to see the turkey sandwiches spread out on the table in front of the couch. She whooped and swan-dived over the couch, except someone was curled up on the couch, and screamed when she landed on them. Luna screamed right back, scrambling backwards, and in the process, inadvertently slapping the person multiple times with her wings and tail. “Oi! Hold your fire! Hold your fire!” the figure yelped, and rose up.

Luna paused, and said in disbelief, “Cameron?!”

Cameron laughed, his wild blonde hair flying haphazardly, worsened by his severe bed head, “Hey, I was waiting for you to wake up, but I guess I fell asleep.”

Luna shrugged it off, looking at his eye bags, “It looked like you needed it. Are you alright?”

He just rubbed his hair in an attempt to smooth it over, “Its nothing. Just tired.”

Luna nodded, “Alright. If you say so. What happened after I passed out?”

Cameron rubbed his arm, “We took Astrid Hofferson home, like her parents asked. Your cousin, though, has been staying with the dragon specimen you two have retrieved. Something about making sure we don’t harm it.”

Luna grinned, “Sounds like Hiccup, alright. Can I go see him?”

Cameron grinned tightly, “Sure. Go ahead, but uh… I was actually hoping I could show you one of our newest supplies…”

Luna lit up, her tail perking up, “Sure! Why not? What is it?”

Cameron laughed awkwardly, “Well, you know how you complained constantly about the terrible taste all the rations had?”

Luna nodded, “Yep. They were absolutely awful. Like dehydrated wood shavings.”

Cameron smiled, “Yeah. So… I talked to my mom and all the other agents, and they agreed to switch up the ingredients to a better tasting one. And now… I would like you to be the first one to sample our newest line of better tasting rations!”

Luna tackled him into a hug, “Yes, yes, yes, yes! What flavors?”

Cameron laughed, “All the usuals; yak. Fish. Various fruits. No eel. I opposed that strongly.”

Luna grinned even brighter, “You remembered!”

Cameron nodded, “Course I did!”

Luna nodded, “That sounds awesome! But, we’ll do that later, when there’s more time. Right now, I wanna see Hiccup! Where is he?”

Cameron nodded, “It’s a date then. Now… your cousin should be on Level 10. Follow me.”

She trotted after Cameron eagerly, rustling her wings as the elevator climbed, and quickly bursting into the Experimental Biological Specimens lab, with Cameron. The EBS was a pristine corridor of sterilized cells designed for animals. Large ones. Toothless and Hiccup were in a cell, lined with bullet-proof glass and tough iron. There was a trough of fish, and a sort of water fountain built inside it, along with a large soft bed, and plenty of space to move around. The ASS weren’t one to completely disregard ethics. Especially when there was a highly intelligent, highly powerful mythological Alpha on the other side. Luna knocked on the glass, where Hiccup was sleeping. He jolted awake, while Toothless simply rolled over. He blinked owlishly, scrubbing at his eyes, "Luna?" He asked, "You're awake?"

Luna nodded, "Yep. Are ya gonna come out? Cause they probably aren't planning on killing Toothless anytime soon."

Hiccup laughed sheepishly and walked over to the human-sized door and let himself out with a touch-activated panel. The second he was out and the door shut behind him, Luna whacked him upside the head, while using her tail to trip him, "Hey!" Hiccup groaned, lying on the floor, "What was that for?!"

Luna huffed, "For not saying anything to me. I mean, we're cousins! You're picking a dragon over me?"

Hiccup blinked, "Are you supposed to be out here?"

Luna crossed her arms, "Are you?"

Cameron face palmed, "What are you doing, Moon?"

Luna still huffed, "I'm tired and hungry, and the ASS medics are asses who will probably force me to sleep in the uncomfortable beds they have in the hospital wing and I can't deal with that!" She stopped her tirade to take a deep breath, "In conclusion, you and I are gonna go to a store and get some actual food."

Cameron raised a brow, "Uh, Moon, it's 3 o'clock."

Hiccup shrugged, "Why not?"

Cameron looked between them, "We're just gonna go along with this?" The two just shrugged and nodded, which made him smirk, "Alrighty then, mind if I tag along as well?"

Luna blushed lightly, "Sure."

He grinned, "Follow me, then. I got a car in the parking, they'll know I'm with you guys if you're needed, so it's better that way."

Hiccup grinned, "Hey, thanks."

Luna nodded, "Right then. Food. Now."

The blond led them back into the elevator and punched in a couple buttons to take them straight to the Level 9 parking lot, where a blue convertible was parked in the mostly empty space. Luna dashed forward, her wings and tail perked up to avoid tripping, "I call Shotgun!"

Hiccup groaned, "No fair!"

Cameron laughed, pulling out a car key and clicking it. The car chirped, and he swung the door open. "You guys squabble over the side seat. I don't really have anywhere else to be… but Luna, you should really put on a jacket, your wings have to be hidden, you know."

Luna smacked her forehead, "Ugh, I knew I forgot something! Hold on, do you still keep those hoodies in the glove compartment?"

Cameron nodded as he slid into the seat, "Yeah. Never leave home without em."

Luna shot him a grateful smile and pulled open the glove compartment to bring out a hoodie. 

Hiccup gaped from the back seat, "How did you fit that in there?"

Cameron grinned, miming zipping his lips shut, "Trade secret, my friend. We all ready?"

Luna and Hiccup nodded, and the car set out. They spiralled up the parking levels, made their way through the toll gate, and drove out into a forest-lined path. Luna grinned as the wind whipped her hair back, "This is so cool!" She whooped. Hiccup could only grin shakily. They wound through the forest, watching as the trees melted away into a more metropolitan scenery. Cameron slowed down, never taking his eyes off the wheel, "Anywhere specific, guys?"

Hiccup nodded, "There's a bun store open 24/7 called Bread Making Vikings. Wanna give that a shot?"

Luna nodded, licking her lips, "Ooh, sounds good."

Cameron hummed, "Bread Making Vikings it is. Now, any idea where the store is? I mean, Berk is so small, we could find it if we drove around the commercial district for a while, but I'd really appreciate general directions."

Hiccup nodded, "Right, uh, turn left at Bucket's bait shop. And move forward until you reach Thorston and Thorston travelling agency."

They continued forward, twisting around, as Cameron absently talked to Luna at the same time. "You know you're to great of an asset for The ASS to just disregard, right? You passing out from overexertion is bad."

Luna waved her hand dismissively, "Pshaw, I'm up now, aren't I? It's all good. I don't need a session with the WingeMedics."

Hiccup blinked as Cameron leaned back, "Hey, that the place?"

He looked at the sign— a double ended mace with a scythe on the other end, with wheat gathered on the end of the scythe— and nodded, "Yeah, that's the one. But what're the Wingemaidens?"

Luna shot a glance at Cameron, who discreetly pressed a button on the radio to play a soft, quiet song, riddled with static. Then she continued, speaking in a low voice, as Cameron slowly looked for a parking spot, "The WingeMedics are like doctors. But not quite. They're not bound by the Hippocrates Oath, so some of the more unethical things they partake in is excusable. One of those things is the research and development of dragon hybrids. They are one of the few that are allowed to treat me or prescribe me medicine since they know what I can and cannot have."

Cameron parked, and turned off the radio, and Luna and Hiccup climbed out, "Alright," Hiccup allowed, "But why are we whispering?"

Luna scanned the area, and continued whispering, "Because, their existence is secret! While the ASS is well-known as a sub-section of the ABI, the WingeMedic division is only known to the higher tiers of government. Every one of their members is highly skilled and is privy to very delicate information. If an enemy was to hunt them down, we'd lose all our aces."

Hiccup shook his head, "I understood none of that." He finally announced, "But I just want a bagel. Come on!"

Cameron snorted as the two middle-schoolers raced each other to the store. Yep, it was good. But for how long?


	11. Monster Update II

Hiccup gulped as he drummed his fingers on the table as he looked at the stern face of his interrogator. The entire place was sterile, spotless, all tile and stainless steel, filled with the scent of disinfectant. The woman droned on, "Mr. Haddock, I must ask you again, what did you see at the nest? We need the data."

Hiccup bit his lip, "I told you everything already." He murmured. 

The woman shook her head exasperatedly, "we need facts, Mr. Haddock. Your image of the nest paints a charming picture, but we're gonna need details. Were they operation in a hive mind? Varying types of byproducts? Emissions or secretions of any sorts? How easy will it be to find samples of their scales or dung?"

She talked like a machine gun, questions fired at him repeatedly as he struggled to keep up. Or even think about what she was even asking. He gulped, "Well, I don't really… know how this all works. How about you ask Luna, instead? She probably knows more about this."

A man in the same pristine white uniform spoke up sharply, "Our patient is currently /resting/, Mister Haddock. Something she should've been doing when instead she was outside gallivanting with you two foolish children."

Hiccup gulped again, this time louder. Turns out, the WingeMedics were way scarier in person. It also helped when he knew there was nothing stopping them from grabbing him and using him as a lab rat. Like, maybe, hopefully, laws would, but, come on, this was /Berk/.

He shrugged, "I honestly don't know. You know what? How about I just take you to the Nest?"

The woman, who was scribbling on a clipboard, froze. Before looking up and adjusting her glasses, "Repeat that?"

Hiccup chewed his cheek, "I mean, we got there via boat. Why can't you guys?"

The doctor standing guard narrowed his eyes, "I thought it was only due to Ms. Luna's draconian enhancements were you able to find the Nest."

Hiccup twiddled his thumbs, "Luna's got Night Fury genes, right? Toothless is a night fury."

The woman sighed exasperatedly, "Unbelievable. An All-powerful Alpha dragon. Endangered species. Last of its kind. At least three centuries old. Name? Toothless. Who was its first handler? I want words with him. But anyways, I suppose yes. If we can get close enough." Hiccup blinked, "You can't get near him?" He hadn't seen the dragon after they had gotten back from their sandwich run. 

The doctor shook his head, "When we fixed its prosthetic tail, and fine-tuned it for easier flight, it was docile. When we attempted riding him, he kept throwing us off."

"Huh." Hiccup contemplated this. "He always let's me ride him."

The two WingeMedics pinned him with sharp gazes, "You can ride it?" The woman in front of him said. 

Hiccup looked at her hesitantly, "I… yes?"

The man nodded, "Brilliant! You'll be taking him to the Nest, and gathering samples for us."

Hiccup just stared bug-eyed as the two nodded affirmatively and walking out, already engrossed with some other projects. "…Alright!" He called after them, "Don't care about my opinion on this. Totally fine by me."

Before he was pushed into the enclosure they had kept Toothless, Cameron pulled him aside, "Bertha talked to the WingeMedics. They're willing to offer you a job, paying big bucks, too. But you don't have to. Fly to the Dragon Nest. It's in your rights."

Hiccup looked up at the older boy, "And if I don't? What'll happen to Toothless?"

The blond flinched, "Either they get Luna to track down the Nest when she's allowed off bed rest. Or they force the Night Fury to take us there."

Hiccup scowled, "Aren't there any animal rights laws that I've against this?"

Cameron coughed, "Well, there are, but it's for their own good."

Hiccup leveled him with a glare, "How? They've been around for centuries, and nothing's happened."

Cameron looked at him seriously, all joyful pretences falling away, "This is serious, Hiccup. Remember Dagur? The boy Luna apprehended? He was in the pocket of Viggo Grimborn. Terrorist. Recently, Border Patrol has been reporting wrecks of unidentifiable ships found in Helhiem's Gate. We have reason to believe he is looking for an alternative weapon supply, and dragons will be the best way to go about it. If he finds them first, those dragons could be used to destroy the Archipelago."

Hiccup gaped, before nodding, "I'll do it." He decided, "It should be better if Luna does it, but I'll do it." Cameron grinned remorsefully and stepped away, allowing Hiccup to be pushed into Toothless' enclosure. This one was a little different from the one he had been in first, this one was more like a forest clearing, with a domed roof and a small lake, situated closer to the surface than all the others. The door was next to a one-way mirror, both fixed into a metal wall that looked out-of-place with the earthen surroundings of the spacious enclosure. The Dragon looked at him suspiciously when he entered, before brightening up. The Dragon rubbed against him, slobbering over him like an oversized puppy. Hiccup snorted, "Hey, bud, stop it! It doesn't wash out! I had to throw away my other clothes!"

The Dragon pulled away, looking at him wide eyed. Hiccup scratched at his ear-like appendages, "I want to go back to the Nest." He explained, "Will you take me?"

The Dragon hesitated, then nodded. Hiccup grinned and sent a thumbs up towards the one-way mirror. The dragon showed him his back, lowering himself so that Hiccup could swing into the saddle. It was new, he decided, with considerably better durability and comfort. It had rudimentary GPS and even what looked like the beginnings of a computer system of sorts. It obviously wasn't done yet, but it was the idea itself. A panel from the domed roof slid back, big enough for Toothless to fly out, with a pinprick of sunlight shining from the tunnel. Toothless together his he turned to give him a gummy smile before crouching down and shooting up. Hiccup whooped as he moved his feet in the stirrups, holding Toothless' new carbon fiber prosthetic tailfin shut to make them move faster. They burst out into Raven's Point Sanctuary. As they landed, they were met by a couple scientists wearing the WingeMedics uniform. They looked positively ecstatic as the two landed. He looked at them, "How was that?"

One of them nodded, "Perfect! Now we know you can ride the dragon. Now, we have a list of things we need from the Nest. Here, have a couple specimen containers."

She handed him some transparent boxes and cups tied together securely, along with latex gloves and some sort of nose pin. She clipped them into Toothless' reins and tucked a roll of paper into a leather loop on his saddle. Hiccup arranged his legs to make room for the things and patted Toothless awkwardly. The dragon crooned under the attention, before crouching down, and running forward, using that speed to help him take off. Hiccup whooped loudly as they took off, but the sound was ripped away by the wind. He was gradually getting used to the dragon's daring arial feats, but it was slow going. He barely held onto his bagels when the Night Fury started doing barrel rolls. He sighed when they finally touched down on an upper entryway to the Nest, a ledge of sorts. He staggered off, weak-kneed. Toothless trotted after him eagerly as Hiccup, as he went through the list. He wrinkled his nose when the first thing on the list was fecal matter. He was not cut out for this...

* * *

Meanwhile, Luna was firmly stuck in bed against her will. She was restless, full of ideas, and her wings were lumpy and uncomfortable under her and lying on top of them made them numb because of the lack of blood flowing through the wings. She had been transferred to a more public hospital room, since the government didn't have the resources to be wasted on the ASS or the WingeMedics for private treatment to a dragon hybrid. So here she was, in a hospital, with a private room, hoping for someone to come visit her. She'd literally be anywhere but here. She was so jealous of Hiccup, being able to go back to the Nest and collect data samples. Really, did the gods hate her— "Hey, Luna, I thought I should visit you. How're you doing?" Luna stopped her internal monologue to look up at Astrid, who was leaning on the door frame. 

Luna grinned at her, "Astrid! Thank the gods! I was dying from boredom!"

Astrid stared at her, "You can shoot fire from your palms. I don't think you should allowed to be bored."

Luna shrugged, "The WingeMedics don't like when I do that. I swear Atali's glare is a registered weapon."

Astrid cocked her head, "Who's Atali?"

"Atali is the head of the WingeMedics. She's kinda... Intense." Luna explained. 

Astrid thought on that for a second, "Huh." There was a silence for five seconds, "You seem really... Hyperfocused today. What's up?"

Luna grinned eagerly, "I got a light bulb today. Absolutely genius. Completely revolutionary."

Astrid tapped her feet, "So what is it?"

Luna raised her arms wide, "Alright, picture this. A dragon sanctuary. To reintroduce dragons to the modern world. It'll be epic. We could give rides, and build jewelry and research, and oh my Freya it's going be awesome, I've got so many plans!"

Astrid's eyes gleamed, "Can I help? It sounds amazing. I'll grab a pen and paper, you give me all the plans you have."

Luna nodded eagerly, "You got it. Alright... So I was thinking a hot springs, for egg hatching, and a petting zoo, and a museum type area..."


	12. Monster Update III

Astrid hovered in front of her father's office, attempting to knock, but shying away at the last second. Her father was... Intense. Cool, calm, collected, confident, charismatic, probably some other positive attribute that doesn't start with a C. He was a brilliant father as far as rich billionaire fathers go, but he was a bit too encouraging. Every time she or her siblings displayed an interest in a field or a hobby, say rollerblading, or egyptology, or mountain climbing, he'd suddenly get them premium, high-quality top notch gear and an instructor known throughout the Archipelago to help them. And sometimes, those weren't lasting hobbies. And no one wanted to waste their father's money, so they stuck through with it, mindlessly doing a task that they hated doing, and frankly weren't really good at. So they were a little antsy around their dad. She gripped her backpack's straps tighter with one hand and reached forward to knock on the door. "Who is it?" Her father called out. 

Astrid opened the door and poked her head in, "Hi, dad."

Her dad nodded at her, "Hey, Astrid. Do you need anything, sweetie?"

Astrid nodded as she walked into her father's office and sat down on the chair in front of the desk. "So my friends, Luna, Fishlegs and I had this idea, of a dragon sanctuary."

Her father quirked a brow, "You're very quick on the uptake, aren't you? Dragons were just caught on camera for the first time the other day. That's my daughter, always ahead of the curve!"

Astrid coughed awkwardly, "Yeah, thanks, dad. So, we scouted out an area on the other side of the island that is perfect for it, prepared blueprints, and simple plans."

Her father grinned, "Well, let me see them. I'll be happy to fund you if the plans are good."

Astrid nodded, feeling like she was in a sales pitch and opened her laptop, and opened up some of the images that Fishlegs had made using CGI to envision what it would look like. She pointed out buildings, and projects, and ideas, and they discussed things, until it was 9 o'clock. Her father grinned as his secretary ushered her out, "This is a brilliant idea, Astrid! I'll ask the board to give you resources, but it'll take effort. You ready for it?"

Astrid nodded determinedly, "Yes. I'm absolutely sure."

Her dad smiled, "Glad to hear it."

* * *

The next few weeks were rushed and busy, filled with frantic pacing, and inexperienced construction. Astrid was good with construction and basic building, and Luna was good with tools. She could stumble along with it. Fishlegs and Hiccup were very lost in this phase. They had tried to limit it as much as possible to caravans and simple huts to give it the old-fashioned effect, but they still needed someone who knew what on Midgard they were doing. Which was how they found themselves in a restaurant called Yakhouse, sitting in a table halfway across the room from a private table for two, where Astrid was sitting in a blue blouse and a cashmere coat. "Guys, it's making me feel weird, why are we spying on Astrid all the way from here instead of, like, sitting with her while she asks Snotlout to help us?" Hiccup asked. 

Fishlegs stared at him, "Dude, we talked about this. If he I sees us losers, he'll never listen."

Hiccup snuck another look at Astrid, "Still feels weird though."

Luna just shook her head exasperatedly, "Shut up, he's here!"

They all looked over to the stocky boy in an expensive leather jacket as he swaggered over to Astrid. "Hey babe. What was so important that you had to meet all the way out here?"

Astrid glared at him, "We're not dating, Snotlout. Get that through that thick skull of yours."

Snotlout grinned, "You're just embarrassed."

Astrid huffed, "Shut up, I'm having second thoughts about getting help from you."

Snotlout immediately changed tracks, "So, what do you need? I'll help you with whatever it is."

Astrid nodded, "I'm working on this project, and I need your help for it, for the building of the huts and fences."

Snotlout crossed his arms, "No offence, I'm pretty awesome like that, but why?"

Astrid huffed, "Come on! You're good at this. Your family was built up by construction. You'd know how to do this, right?"

Snotlout nodded, "Obviously. Anything for you, Astrid. Its just gonna be you and me, right?"

Astrid winced, "No. I've actually already got a couple specialists on the dragon scene. They do the research, you do the infrastructure."

He pouted, "Ugh, fine! They'll probably mess up my style, but if you're gonna be here, then it's no biggie. Who are these nerds?"

Astrid glanced at the table the three were sitting and the trip sank into their chairs. Now wasn't the time. She looked at Snotlout, "Follow me. They're back at the site where we're building."

The boy scrambled up, "You gonna walk? Because I've got a chauffeur. Come on."

As soon as they had disappeared outside, Hiccup and Fishlegs sprang up, and disappeared out of a side door, jumping into Astrid's waiting car. The chauffeur had already been filled in with the intricate plan and the second they were all seated, even Luna, who seemed marginally less anxious, he stepped on the gas and they swung down the roads, taking an alternate route from what Astrid was taking Snotlout down. They tumbled out into the cleared section of forest, and busied themselves with the planks of wood. Luna hurriedly pulled off her hoodie, so she was wearing her ordinary T-shirt and her wings and tail were on full display. The three were just starting to work on the central enclosure when Snotlout strode in with Astrid. The stocky boy scowled when he saw them, "No way! I'm supposed to work with you losers?! Come on Ast-"

He froze when he spotted Luna, his eyes wide, "You-you have wings!" He stammered out

Luna shot a warning flare of plasma at his feet using her mouth, "Something wrong with that?"

He gasped, "You breathe fire?! Oh, Surt, that's incredible."

Luna blinked, "I was expecting more screaming."

Snotlout grinned, "So cool. Can you fly?"

Luna looked down at him, "Naturally."

Snotlout immediately turned to the others, "You knew about this?" he whined, "and no one cared to tell me?"

Fishlegs stared at him, "Why would we tell you? You demean us everyday."

Snotlout nodded thoughtfully, "Fair point, but you're obviously not losers anymore, so I'll be willing to make an exception."

Hiccup just raised an eyebrow, "And why are we not losers anymore?"

Snotlout stared at him, "DUDE! You have a pet dragon! That automatically promotes you to the cool kids section."

Hiccup glared at him, "How do you know about Toothless?"

Snotlout waved his hand dismissively, "He showed up in that video that went viral on BerkMotion. One of the few clips that the WingeMedics released to the general public. But anyways, do I get my own dragon? Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say-"

Luna facepalmed, "No. Way."

He pouted, "Killjoy."

Fishlegs shrugged, "So, you'll help us or not?"

Snotlout tapped his chin as he looked around, "I can't promise anything. I'll need more information, resources, then I'll hire a construction crew..."

Astrid waved her hands, "That's not the point! We can't just hire a construction crew and be done with it! We're doing this by ourselves!"

Snotlout groaned, "But that'll take so much time!"

Luna nodded, "That's the point! C'mon, it'll be fun!"

Snotlout crossed his arms and huffed, "Fine! But I reserve the right to call in some friends."

Astrid, Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Luna huddled up, whispering amongst each other, before separating. Astrid nodded, "Alright. But what friends are we talking about?"

* * *

Ruffnut ran in, "This is gonna be awesome!"

Her twin was two steps behind her, "I wanna work on the ballistics hut!"

Luna sweatdropped as the two ran in, followed by a raven-haired girl hauling an axe, "This is a bad idea." she noted.

The raven-haired grinned apologetically, "Don't worry. I'll keep them in check. I'm Heather. And you are...?"

Hiccup shook her hand, "Hiccup Haddock. And, thanks, I don't think we'll be able to hold them back all the time."

Snotlout swaggered over, "Relax. Nothing will happen. These two are good at what they do. Really good with building things. Even better sculptors. Just don't let them see the paint cans."

Fishlegs sighed, "Alright then. Welcome to the team, you guys!"


	13. Monster Update IV

_This is Dragon's Edge. It's a fifteen minute walk from the outskirts of Berk, and the last five minutes are inaccessible by road, so you'll be taking a long sweaty walk before you can see the place. But it's totally worth it. We didn't hold back when building this place..._

"That central enclosure is where our dragons are kept. We don't keep medium or large sized dragons, but small ones are still a treat! The surrounding huts are designed to be historically accurate, and contain exhibits and activities! Feel free to explore!" Heather waved the focus group away. 

It had been a month after the Astrid and Hiccup's encounter with the Dragon Eye, and Luna's collapse.

They had put together the Dragon's Edge fairly quickly between the eight of them, and some expert intervention. Eventually Astrid had to admit defeat and call in actual workers for the building, but most of it was already done. Fishlegs and Hiccup together had been able to pull out dozens upon dozens of dragon facts and explanations and what not. 

Sure, there were a few hiccups, like Snotlout's arrogance and Fishlegs' meekness. Things weren't helped by Ruffnut deciding that she now had a crush on Fishlegs. But, they pulled together, more or less, and were now able to tolerate each other from sheer fear of Astrid's new ferocity. 

It was actually the last day before school reopened after the whole Infiltrator scandal, and the eight of them were here, in a bowling alley Ruff and Tuff had booked for the entire night, sitting on one of the tables for the cafe. 

"I'm gonna miss the freedom." Snotlout sighed, "I had almost gotten over the trauma of middle school."

"We've only been here for three months, Snot, we got an entire year and a half to go." Tuff pointed out. 

"Well, I'm actually looking forward to school reopening." Ruff declared as she leaned back in her chair with her legs propped up on the table. 

Heather snorted, "You are? That's it, the world has ended."

"I'm serious!" Ruff protested, "There just aren't all that many good victims for pranks outside of school."

"Yeah, but once school reopens, we won't have as much left for working on the Edge." Hiccup pointed out. 

Snotlout hummed, "We finished up most of the finer details, right? All the signs being translated into Old Norse and stuff like that?"

"Yep." Hiccup nodded, "We should be able to open in a couple weeks. How about the third Saturday of February?"

Luna shook her head, "No, I'm busy then."

Tuff grinned, "With what?"

Luna laughed shakily, "Nothing! Cameron just wanted to talk!"

Heather grinned, "You're going on a date with him!?"

Luna coughed awkwardly, "It's not really a date..."

Ruffnut had a vicious glean in her eye as she leaned forward, "Want to make it a double date? With me and Fish?"

Fishlegs yelped, "Oh Thor, no! I'll die from embarrassment."

Ruff pouted, "Come on, Fishy bear! It's not so bad! You know you love me!"

Fishlegs chuckled nervously as he got up, "Would you look at the time! I gotta go before my mom skins me alive." And he immediately scurried out. Ruffnut followed him merrily. 

The remaining group watched as Tuff sighed, "I gotta make sure she doesn't take it too far." and he walked out.

Snotlout looked at the three retreating ones and asked absently, "Anyone else reminded of that old Looney Tunes cartoon of the love-struck skunk chasing the cat?"

Everyone started snickering. 

* * *

School reopening was weird. It was obvious that most kids had gotten used to another completely different sleep schedule by the way most kids were half asleep.

The two cousins were still keeping it together, though. 

It was boring, being caged in a classroom again. But they had a lot of friends now, compared to before. The whole social structure had fallen apart now that the richest kids in school were hanging out with losers, and a spy had gotten school shut down for a week. Every though it quickly became monotonous, and nearly insufferable. Luna stuck through the four weeks, aiming for Saturday, the day that Cameron had called her out to the courtyard of the mansion that the ASS had assigned her. Since then, she'd moved out to a reasonably priced apartment instead. She still hadn't told anyone of her draconic genes who want in her innermost circle. Even Heather and Ruffnut had yet to know. It was alright, though, she was planning on telling them after the grand opening of Dragon's Edge.

* * *

It was now Sunday. Valentine's day had been the day before, and the decorations were still up. Luna glided over the property walls and landed in the courtyard. She had never been here after the initial glance around. In the darkness, lit only by moonlight, it looked especially stunning. She held up her hand, letting her fire glands open up and lit a controlled ball of purple flames in her hand to see better. Because using torches was overrated. Cameron waved as he walked up, "Hey, Moon. You came!"

Luna nodded, "Course I did. What did you want?"

Cameron rubbed his neck awkwardly, "We've known each other for a long time, right?"

Luna nodded uncertainly, and Cameron continued, "I... I guess what I'm trying to say... Is..."

He leaned forward, to whisper something in her ear, and Luna's cheeks turned red at his close proximity. The blond boy murmured into her ear, "Sorry."

Her eyes bulged, and she reeled backwards, but Cameron jammed an IV shot into her. She let out a garbled sound as the surroundings blurred and tilted...

* * *

Hiccup knocked on Luna's door, "Hey, cuz, you in there? You're gonna be late like this!"

Fishlegs shifted nervously, "Do you think something's up?"

They were outside Luna's apartment, waiting to head to school. Hiccup slumped against the wall, "She hasn't texted me or anything, but that's not unusual."

He opened up his phone, and went into the group chat they had made. 

**Hiccup:** Hey, has anyone heard from Luna?

**Hiccup:** She's not opening her door

**Valkyrie:** Sorry, but no

**Valkyrie:** have you tried calling her

**Hiccup:** yes

**Hiccup:** I'm not an idiot

**FemLoki:** wasn't she with that Cameron guy?

**Snot boss:** im gonna call the police

**Hiccup:** I'll just call his mother. The police won't be able to do much. 

He sighed as he shut off his phone and started walking away, "C'mon, fish! We need to get to that direct hotline in the ASS base."

Fishlegs scrambled behind him, "We're going be so late."

They made a mad dash to the mansion two blocks away, getting into the secret bunker in record time, and jamming the button for the hotline urgently. 

It took five minutes for the phone to be answered, which was frankly ridiculous, this was a hotline, by a frazzled looking technician, "This better be important, we have a crisis on our hands."

Hiccup waved it away dismissively, "My cousin. Luna Light is an operative for you. She's missing, and last seen with Cameron Bogthorpe, the son of the director, who is also her godmother. Where is she?"

The guy paled, "He has a hostage? Oh no, this is bad. Very bad..." He started mumbling to himself. 

Hiccup growled, "What do you mean he has a hostage?! What's going on?"

At that moment, Bertha Bogthorpe slid into the frame, oozing disapproval, "That, mister Haddock, is classified. You're not privy to such information since you're a civilian, nor will I ever allow such a sensitive matter be relayed through an easily intercepted message. No matter how secure it is."

Fishlegs tried to butt in, "But that's his cousin! His last living relative!"

Bertha heaved a sigh, "But due to the circumstances, we'll arrange a debriefing today. Go to school, Mister Haddock and Mr Ingerman. This conversation is over."


	14. Monster Update V

It was the most stressful day of school he had ever had. He couldn't stop glancing at the clock. His impatience seemed to be broadcasted to his friends, and they were equally freaked out. As soon as school let out, he raced out of Berk to the base in Raven's Point, where Toothless was kept and he had been granted access to. He entered the hut, looking like a standard supply room in the small complex, complete with boxes and everything. He fumbled for the card reader near the door, his security card already out, and scanned it. There was a ding, and a green light flashed several times, slowly speeding up between flashes, and only stopped when Hiccup put his thumb in the socket below the light. There was another ding and the supply room moved downwards, leaving only the outer portion of the room above ground. The elevator slid down and opened into the bustling reception area. He awkwardly made his way to the desk, painfully aware of the odd looks he got for his short height and obvious young age. The woman deftly sorting through files at the desk didn't even look up when he approached her, "Um... I'm Hiccup. Haddock. The Sixteenth." He fumbled out, "I-I have a debriefing with D-Director Bogthorpe...?"

The woman stared blankly at him, "Wrong personnel. You're gonna be looking for Throk, he's keeping track of all the people allowed to see the ASS Director."

Hiccup gulped, "O-oh, sorry. W-where can I find him?"

The woman pointed towards the desk across the room, kind of like a PA system, lined with red buttons. Two agents were working the place easy as you please. He walked over to them, and coughed, "Umm... I'm Hiccup Haddock. I-I have a debriefing. And I'm looking for..... Agent Throk?"

The agent nodded apathetically, and pressed a red button. "Agent Throk. Please make your way to the call center. Your presence is required."

A couple minutes of standing around, and a man with an orange buzz cut marched over. He eyed Hiccup critically, "Are you Hiccup Haddock? The Dragon Rider?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "The Dragon Rider?"

The man answered curtly, "Codename. Other islands won't approve of a minor allowed to have a dragon."

Hiccup looked down, "Okay. Then, yeah. That's me."

Throk nodded, "Alright. Follow me."

He was led through the labyrinthine corridors. Through layers and layers of security. Until finally, he did on the other side of a desk, looking at Bertha Bogthorpe. The Director of the ASS was looking bad. Like she had had too much coffee, and was now about to crash. 

She glared at Hiccup, "This is a high-level secret, but it appears that everyone knows anyways. My son, Cameron Bogthorpe, has gone rogue, and is now joining the terrorist faction that the boy Dagur Oswaldson was part of. He has leaked all the information his high post in the ASS had access to, and took a hostage. Your cousin Luna Light."

Hiccup stared, "Luna's been taken?" his voice was barely a whisper. 

The Director nodded grimly. Before Hiccup could respond, she cut him off, "The ABI is currently looking for her. Don't panic Mr. Haddock. She'll be fine."

"Like Hel she will." Hiccup snarled, "You're the reason she's been captured at all."

"And we're paying for that mistake." Bertha retorted swiftly, "The information Cameron released is no small thing. Our entire agency might have to shut down with all our dealings displayed to the population as a whole. You will no longer answer to us, Mr. Haddock, we just don't have the resources anymore to continue the Dragon Rider Program."

Hiccup gulped down his rage and simmered, "Do I at least get to keep Toothless?"

Bertha nodded, "The dragon, along with all your gear will be put in your custody. Along with a hundred dollars for your trouble."

Hiccup just nodded dumbly. He was on autopilot for the rest of his visit, making his way to Toothless' enclosure in the hangar, taking what little equipment and gear he had been fitted with, and leaving the base on top of Toothless, tears stinging his face. 

As the two swooped and spun wildly, Hiccup could feel himself coming alive. He whooped loudly as the two did barrel rolls 80000 feet above land, Toothless' wings cutting into the lowest cloud layer.

Finally, as the sun started to set, he called it a day and swooped down into the courtyard of Luna's old mansion. As he landed in the unlit courtyard, reality hit him again, and defeat weighed him down again. He pulled out his phone, that Luna had convinced the ASS that he needed, and dialed Fishlegs' number. He picked up almost immediately, "Hey Hiccup, what happened? Did they tell you what is up with Luna?" The husky boy asked anxiously. 

Hiccup ran a hand through his hair, "Yeah. It's not good. She's been taken hostage by a turncoat, and it... Doesn't look good."

Fishlegs gasped, "They just gave up?!"

Hiccup shook his head, every though no one could see it, "The ASS is being shut down. Probably. It wasn't looking good for it either way. The ABI is trying it's best, but everything has limits, and well... I don't think they're too bothered with Luna."

Fishlegs' voice became more solemn, "I'm sorry. But what about you and the Dragon Explorer Rider Program?"

Hiccup sighed morosely, "I've been kicked off DERP. All my gear and everything they let me keep. Even Toothless is here, but I don't have anywhere to keep him and..."

There was a sudden scuffle on the other side, a thud, and then Astrid's concerned voice sounded over the phone, "Hiccup? Oh my gods are you okay? What happened? Did they find Luna?"

Hiccup sighed, "I'm only gonna tell you guys once, so put the phone on speaker and listen closely...."

* * *

After his entire story was over, Astrid had calmed down, "Do you need a place to keep Toothless? I don't think he'll like the Dragon's Edge very much as it is right now."

Hiccup smiled at her thoughtfulness, "Thanks, Astrid. Could you really find me a place?"

"Absolutely." The girl replied, "We got a pool house that we never use. If you want to crash as well, that's fine."

Hiccup blushed, "Err, no, it's fine. Thanks for the offer though."

Fishlegs talked over here shoulder, "But dude, we're totally gonna try and look for her, right?"

"Obviously, Fish." He replied. 

"Then we'll meet up with the rest of the gang tomorrow. Figure out a plan of action. What do you think?"

"Sounds great." Hiccup said, "But I need to get Toothless to Astrid's house, so I'm going hang up now."

"Right, sorry." Fishlegs squeaked and the dial tone rang. Hiccup sighed, and pocketed his phone before turning to Toothless, "Hey buddy! Wanna go for a walk?"

* * *

Sneaking Toothless through the streets of Berk was the hardest thing he had ever done, but somehow the managed it. Toothless snuck through back alleys and hid in plain sight with his pitch black coloration. With a lot of sneaking around, they finally made it to the back of Astrid's backyard. He stared up at the fence he needed to get over and turned to Toothless, who stared right back at him "Hey, bud? Give me some help please?" He asked.

Toothless rolled his eyes, but lowered his head to act as a boost and help him scramble over the fence. He collapsed in a heap on the other side. There was a giggle from above him, and he rolled over to look at the source of the laugh. He flushed in embarrassment as he saw Astrid snickering at him. "H-hi." He managed.

Astrid's laughs died down, "Sorry, that was rude." she helped him up, as Toothless landed gracefully beside him, "Hey, Toothless! Come on, I've got your temporary home all set up!"

Toothless puffed his chest out, and strutted after Astrid. Hiccup rolled his eyes, "Suck up."

There was a stone slab behind the pool house, that Toothless immediately blowtorched and fell asleep on. Hiccup grinned melancholically at the sleeping reptile, "Thanks so much for doing this, Astrid." He said.

Astrid nodded, "Of course I would do this for you. I've always got your back, Hiccup."

The two grinned at each other. Hiccup blushed and rubbed his neck, "I should probably go."

Astrid fidgeted with her hands, "Yeah. When morning comes, I'll help you find your cousin."

Hiccup nodded, "Thanks." 

He turned around and made to climb over the fence again, before Astrid grabbed his shoulder, "You know we have a back door, right?"

Hiccup blushed, "I didn't, actually. Must've missed it."

She fondly rolled her eyes and opened a door a couple feet away that led out into the street. He ran out of there like a shot. 

* * *

The next day, they all congregated at a local breakfast place. Snotlout had out his second breakfast wrap as he talked, "So he made his way of the island using private transport. The best option to that is a boat."

Heather sighed, "But it'll be almost impossible to track him down. I mean, even the ABI is having trouble!"

Tuffnut started banging his head on the table, "C'mon, you stupid brain! Work, work, work!"

Ruffnut pulled him back, "You'll give yourself a concussion like that, bro."

Fishlegs sighed, "I have no idea. Maybe we should think on it. If anyone gets an idea they should call, right?"

The group nodded, "Right."

So they thought on it. They daydreamed during class, they planned during the day, until Heather shot up from her half hearted whittling project, "That's it!"


	15. Monster Finale

It was genius. Completely genius. Using Tracker class dragons to find a very unique person. It was Heather's idea to start with, but Fishlegs and Hiccup took it from there because they had hung around with dragons more. With this, they could find her before everyone else. "Hey, Hiccup! I think they found her!" Astrid yelled out, "Everyone's saddling up. You coming?"

Hiccup nodded immediately, "Obviously. Come on, Toothless!"

* * *

Luna woke up, and immediately wanted to go back to sleep. She was chained up by her arms to a grimy wall. Her entire body felt like a giant bruise. Blood was trickling down her face, and her wings and tail were prickling with pins and needles. She recalled everything from before her abduction and cursed. Obviously she let her guard down around him. Stupid, pretty boy Cameron. That had been an impostor. She tried spewing fire from her wrist glands to try and melt the metal binds. She hadn't expected it to work. Which it didn't. But what she hadn't foreseen was the fact that when she tried to shoot plasma, it felt like molten magma was being poured down her glands. She couldn't help it. She screamed. A soft, familiar voice whispered, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." She looked up to see Cameron, no, the Cameron-Imposter, as he continued, "He's had your gland openings lined with an inflammatory toxin."

She looked at him hatefully, "Why do you still wear his face?"

He looked at her in confusion, "Who's face?"

Luna scowled, "Cameron's."

He stared at her, "I am Cameron, Luna."

Luna gritted her teeth, "No, you're not! He would never turn traitor!"

Cameron shrugged, "Well, I have now." But he didn't seem to be so sure, "Don't cause any trouble, Luna. This doesn't have to be so hard."

Luna tried to struggle, but it was impossible, "I'll go down screaming and crying if it means that'll make your job harder!"

He just hung his head and walked out, "You're lucky no one else is here. Please don't act like this when Savage gets here." were his parting words.

She was left in the dark to ponder his words. But she had trouble thinking straight at all, and found herself drifting into sleep.

The next time she was jerked awake was when the door slammed open. There was no knowing how long she had been asleep, but she had bigger problems to deal with. Cameron was back. He was paler than she last remembered him, and shaking and stumbling much more than normal. His eyes were lined with red as collapsed in front of Luna. "I-I'm so sorry." he whispered, almost delirious, "This sh-shouldn't have happened to you."

Luna scowled, "What is this? Psychological manipulation? I'm not falling for it!"

He fumbled with the binds until they were unlocked, "Luna. Please. Please listen to me. I don't know for how long I'm in control."

The chains fell off of me as he whispered hurriedly, "Savage. He's coming. Any minute now, to pick you up. Your friends. They're close. I-I don't think I can make it. Y-You don't know what they did to me."

A ghostly sheen overtook his eyes as Luna trembled. "Run, Moon." he whispered, before his eyes sharpened into a glare and he lunged for her. Luna scrambled backwards, every part of her body screaming in protest. The Evil-Cameron pounced on her again and she rolled backwards, further aggravating her injuries. She limped out desperately. Trying to get to the door, but Evil-Cameron was relentless. Hounding her fiercely. Herding her into a corner. She crouched into a corner as he smiled sadistically, and went in for the kill. It happened so fast.

Instinctually, Luna raised both her arms and shot plasma at him, even through the blistering pain racing through her arms. It immediately shot straight through his head, killing him instantly. Luna hyperventilated as the dead body of her crush collapsed on the mouldy ground. But now wasn't the time for it. She dragged herself out. Out of that cell, which led directly to a tiny islet. And with all the pain she was in, she lay still on the ground. Helpless.

As she looked up... she saw something black flit in the sky. But it was impossible. Maybe she was hallucinating in her last moments of life. But then it appeared again, followed by more multi-coloured figures and her heart soared. _Your friends. They're close._ She closed her eyes. She was safe.

* * *

Luna woke up to a beeping sound. Through the haze of just waking up, she just wanted it to stop beeping. The lights were really bright. It hurt her eyes. Her wings twitched under her and it was really uncomfortable. The scales of her tailfins chafed at her legs. It sucked to be okay. Maybe she should've just let go. She felt tired. Really tired. And weak. Like a leaf after a thunderstorm. It sucked. Being so incapable of moving. As if everything blinking would sap away all her energy. Her scalp felt lighter, though. As if air was hitting it properly now. Maybe if she rested more... Then things will make sense...

_"... Still sleeping..."_

_"... Not Brain dead..."_

_"... Been weeks..."_

_"... Better this way..."_

_"Healing... Atrophy... Normal..."_

She listened to the voices that sounded so far away. She knew them. From somewhere. Was that normal? All she could think about was the void. Thinking about anything outside the void was just pain. It wasn't worth it. She felt like she was floating. Like anything was under her control. Was this a dream? If she was aware it was a dream, was it a lucid dream? Or was she just in a void? It confused her. And made her tired.

She lay there, for ages and ages, listening to the voices. So far away, they might be speaking from another world, until she heard something that was clearer than the rest. **"Hey, Luna, care to wake up? Cause we made your Dragon reserve. Everyone loves it. It's doing great."** The voice fell silent for a while, and she wanted it to keep talking, until it finally did, " **School is over now. If you're worried. You might have to retake a couple exams. And well, the doctors say you're being more responsive. That's good. Just, I mean. It'll be good to take that leap and wake up, you know?"**

And then it clicked. She knew this person. He was her cousin. Her last living family. And for a few moments, her eyes were open, and engulfed with searing bright light and she winced and closed them again. There was a gasp. And then the incessant beeping continued.

* * *

After that original time, Luna felt that, she really shouldn't have bothered to wake up. The next few days were full of stupid tests and doctors tapping her wings and testing her reflexes, looking for signs of brain damage. And that was stupid, like she would go insane from sleeping for a few weeks. That sounded like actual heaven right about now. To sleep forever. To not have nosy people bothering her for every little thing. Real life had hit her hard when she woke up, money, and school, and laws, they all needed her. And she just didn't have time.

But other times, there were moments like these, just her and her friends. Well, she guessed Snotlout and his gang were kind of her friends now. They did help save her. She sat in her wheelchair, sipping on a milkshake, watching Snotlout brandish a newspaper with the headline, "Dragon Riders in Berk?!" "We're practically famous!"

Heather laughed, "In our wildest dreams! No one even saw our faces. I don't think they'd believe us."

Fishlegs laughed, "Won't it be cool, though? We're like superheroes!"

"Nah." Ruffnut decided, as she used her straw to stir the froth at the bottom of her glass, "Too much work."

"You said it, sis," Tuffnut said with his mouth full of pastry, "As awesome as it is, I'd rather not be a superstar. Bad for Loki's Day."

"Why would it make a difference?" Luna asked.

"Glad you asked, young disciple," Tuffnut said in a scholarly voice, "You see; when you are famous, it is harder to get to places and but stupid stuff, to make your pranks. It is even harder to set them up without anyone noticing because your beloved fans are on the lookout for you."

Astrid snorted, "As if you could ever have fans."

Tuffnut put a fist to his chest, "You wound me!"

Astrid rolled her eyes, "Good."

Ruffnut cackled, "Knockout!" As Tuffnut gave an overdramatic wail and collapsed over the table.

Fishlegs swiftly moved his pastry out of the way, "Careful!" He chided.

Heather scoffed, "That word doesn't exist in his vocabulary."

"What is this? Tuffnut bashing hour?" The boy with dreadlocks huffed.

"Oooh! Let's make it official!" Luna remarked eagerly.

Tuffnut sent her a betrayed look, "I pushed you all the way here! You should be on my side!"

The table exploded into snickers as she smirked. Yep. These were the moments that made it worth it. So so worth it.

* * *

Luna whooped as she stumbled across the room, "Finally! Take that muscle atrophy!" Her physical therapist sighed fondly, "That's nice dear. But you've still got a long way to go..."

Luna pouted playfully as she lowered herself into her wheelchair, "C'mon, doc! Let me relish the little things."

The therapist raised her hands in defense, "I'm not stopping you from doing anything, kid. I'm just saying..."

Luna laughed, "Don't worry. I got this."

It had been a month since she woke up, and after that initial rocky start, things were looking up. The Dragon's Edge Dragon Reserve (DEDR, or deader. The joke was not lost on anyone.) Was a hit. People loved it. Tourism nearly doubled on the island, and it was doing good. All the dragons were being treated well, and people seemed to be clearing up loads of misconceptions about dragons.

The problem with her missing from school due to a month long coma had been sorted out. A couple cramming sessions and exam retakes, and she was good to go. The second year was gonna be just fine. Nowhere as crazy as it was now.

Her secret was out, though. Turns out, someone did a piece on her in the local Berk newspaper, since there obviously weren't enough things going on to actually report on, and someone took a photo of her being wheeled into the surgery. Guess what made the headlines?

The thing about her having wings and a tail actually blew over much more smoothly than she was expecting it too. The WingeMedics were way better at PR damage control than most people would think. It also helped that she was still a minor, and even with Berk's awful child rights laws, they still couldn't defame her or anything. So it was alright.

The ASS ended up getting disbanded, and a few portions of it merged with the ABI and their commander, Director Mala Quinn, and her second in command, Throk. The WingeMedics stayed their own separate Corp. And Bertha went on her own side quest to look for alternate government programs or organisations in need of a Director.

Luna's flat had been bought and paid for before the disbandment of the ASS, so she got to keep it. The mansion, however, got repossessed by the government and used for something else, and they were heavily warned against trespassing it. It kinda made her want to, just to see what the big deal was, but bringing the wrath of the government down on her was not something she needed right about now.

She started conditioning for flight soon after. Learning routines for stretching her wings and tail to get things started. So life was hectic. But it was a good hectic. The downside was that her hair had been chopped off by the medics. So she now had barely ear length hair when she was nearly about to hit the waist length mark before.

She still didn't know what happened to Cameron, how he was acting so off, and doing it's irrational. She had looked into it, but it was stupid. He was dead, the WingeMedics Damage Control Division had found his dead body in the tiny base, and Savage, the man responsible for the whole debacle, was in jail.

And now, here she was, in the elevator of the WingeMedics HQ for what was hopefully the last time. The door dinged and opened up into an ante chamber. The two security guards looked at her as she entered, and she flashed her guest card, "I'm looking for Inventory In charge Minden."

The right guard nodded silently, and pressed a button on a side panel that made one of the four doors open. Luna peered inside, where Minden was sitting, doing paperwork. She looked up when the door shut behind her, "Ms Luna Whiting Light. Charmed to meet you." She said coolly.

Luna nodded, "Uh... Thanks?"

Minden continued to assess her, "You're a young child. But I believe you have much potential." Luna remained silent as she monologued, "Though I wonder... Are you ready for this much power?"

That peaked Luna's interest, "What power?"

Minden pulled out a briefcase of sorts, except it was all metal. She scanned her thumb on a fingerprint reader near the locks, and it clicked open... To reveal an ornate black band, like a Mi band, but with a purple fire pattern swirling around it inked into the band. On the side meant for the inside of the wrist, was a bulky attachment, like a rigid loop, with holes on both ends, on the attachment, it had two dull green eyes. Luna admired it, "It's incredible. What is it?" She felt an attachment to it, but nothing distinct.

Minden closed it, "Are you aware of what are known as the Dragon Relics?"

Luna shrugged, "Sorta...? I mean, I know there are five, and each is designed for a different type of dragon, but no one knows what three of them are. Why? Are they powerful?"

Minden nodded seriously, "Very powerful. The Dragon Relics were created to be used by dragon and rider in tandem. It was difficult to reach that level of mutual understanding. Especially so when dragons had gone into hiding, so only dragon hybrids are capable of using these incredibly powerful items. What you're looking at... Is the plasma band. Made for Night Furies."

Luna gasped softly, "Why are you giving it to me now?" She asked.

Minden looked into her eyes, "Because we didn't have it till now. It was recovered from Cameron's room when we searched it, using instructions we got from an encoded note on his body. We have studied it as much as possible, and now, I believe it is time to give it to the person he intended it for. You."

Luna shakily picked up the briefcase, opening it, and sliding the band onto her wrist. Her expression hardened into a fierce grin as the dull green eyes lit up, "Thank you. I promise you won't regret this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this is it. I guess. How to Spot a Dragon Hybrid is officially done. Thanks for the support, everyone! Now, the next part of this series that I will write will be Terror Times Three, which is, coincidentally, the last in the series. Maybe. If you want me to continue the series, I've got some ideas. Reading in chronological order will go like this:  
> 1\. How to Spot a Dragon Hybrid  
> 2\. The Timberjackie  
> 3\. Skreo and Raziet  
> 4\. Terror Times Three  
> I'll be releasing the chapters for the next ones on AO3 on a weekly basis.

**Author's Note:**

> So... tell me what you think! I know it's not very good... but give it a shot anyways, please!


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